• Originally published December 28, 2009 at 7:42 p.m., updated December 28, 2009 at 10:10 p.m.

A former Victoria Advocate employee known for his love for his editorials and photography died on Christmas Eve.

Joe Patrick Bean, who served as the Advocate editorial page editor for more than five years, left in 2007.

While at a staff party for the Texas State Teachers Association on Dec. 17, in Austin, he went outside, lost consciousness, fell from a parking garage about 15 feet high onto the concrete and landed on his head, friends say.

Later, while in the hospital, Bean, 51, had a heart attack and died on Dec. 24.

Bean was a public affairs specialist for the Texas State Teachers Association.

While at the Advocate, Bean was an open-minded editorial writer, said friend Cindy Bonner.

"He was passionate about his opinions, the way he felt about things going on in the world," Bonner said, who reviewed books for the Advocate between 2006 and 2008. "He was also really open to other people's opinions in the way he felt."

Bean was also a photographer, and loved shooting pictures of animals in zoos.

"I have a picture he gave me he had taken of some swans from the Dallas zoo," Bonner said. "I don't think he ever went anywhere without his camera."

Bean earned a master's degree in journalism from The University of Texas.

He also worked as an editorial writer and columnist at the San Antonio Express-News, the opinion page editor at the Muskogee (Okla.) and Daily Phoenix and Times-Democrat.

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