I’m sorry to say that one of my newest friends, Berenice “Bee” Bleedorn passed away on 22 February 2011 at the ripe age of 99. Bee had much more energy than just about anyone I know and she was almost constantly pestering me to become more involved in her work championing creativity and critical thinking.
Bee and I met when she read an article I had written for the University of Minnesota’s College of Design magazine on the teaching of creativity and critical thinking. A lot of my undergraduate and graduate work focused on the research and discoveries of E. Paul Torrance. She requested my presence at one of her regular meetings and I went. Bee had been a close associate of Torrance and, more than anyone I know, has worked tirelessly to ensure the Torrance legacy with regard to creativity and critical thinking.
Graduating from Waconia High School in 1929, she began teaching at Rutz Lake in 1930. She received her BA from the University of Minnesota in 1967 and an MA in Educational Psychology two years later. During her undergraduate years, Bee served as a research assistant to Torrance and was subsequently honored by him for visionary leadership in 1998. At the age of 74, after her two daughters were grown, Bee received her PhD in Leadership and Human Behavior from the US International University in San Diego, and went on to publish five books. She founded the Institute for Creative Studies at the University of Saint Thomas in Saint Paul.
Visitation will be held at the Saint Joan of Arc Church in Minneapolis on 1 March 2011 at 3PM. A Memorial Mass will be held at 5PM, and a reception will take place at Moscow on the Hill in Saint Paul at 5PM.
Bee was tremendous spirit, a remarkable woman, and a warrior advocate. I regret not having gotten to know her better.
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