--- description: Beau Biden died on May 30 at the age of 46 after battling brain cancer. title: How Beau Biden Helped Children and Families image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt16afba032b6d6f57/6988526e06f2c16b8633a6cd/beau-biden.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Ideas](/section/ideas/) ## Ideas Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [politics](/tag/politics/) ## politics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # How Beau Biden Helped Children and Families by [Patricia Dailey Lewis](/author/patricia-dailey-lewis/) ## Patricia Dailey Lewis Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 1, 2015 6:49 PM CUT  Attorney General of Delaware Beau Biden walks on stage during the final day of the Democratic National Convention at Time Warner Cable Arena on September 6, 2012 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Attorney General of Delaware Beau Biden walks on stage during the final day of the Democratic National Convention at Time Warner Cable Arena on September 6, 2012 in Charlotte, North Carolina.Alex Wong—Getty Images by [Patricia Dailey Lewis](/author/patricia-dailey-lewis/) ## Patricia Dailey Lewis Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 1, 2015 6:49 PM CUT Beau Biden was not interested in being a politician. He was a public servant who knew that holding political office was the best way to do what he wanted to do: help people who had no one to help them. He would always say, “We’re going to be a voice for the voiceless.” When Beau decided to run to be attorney general of Delaware, he had a very clear mission in mind. He wanted to address the needs of children, victims of domestic violence, and victims of elder abuse. After he was elected in 2006, he created the Family Division and appointed me as director, a title I still hold today. Beau was a true leader. He always made people feel they were important to the mission. You saw that in how he embraced being part of the Delaware National Guard. I remember being there the day he deployed. He was hard to pick out, surrounded by his fellow uniformed members. You could tell he was a leader of the team, but more important, he was part of the team. One example of his leadership stands out in my mind. We were prosecuting Earl Bradley, a pediatrician who had been charged with molesting and raping children in Lewes, Delaware, in early 2010\. Beau wanted to make sure that we kept the needs of the victims in mind and that they had the least amount of stress. We read every single file and reached out to every single patient. He set a community meeting for Jan. 12\. It ended up being the same day as his grandmother’s funeral. She was the center of the Biden family and had helped raise Beau after his mother and younger sister [died](http://time.com/3902786/beau-biden-tragedy/ "undefined") in 1972 when he was 3 years old. He was grief-stricken by the loss of his grandmother, but he came down to Lewes and stood in front of an auditorium of angry parents. He calmly listened to people, made a plan, and got them the help they needed. Beau was a natural at talking to people he didn’t know. He made people feel that what they had to say was truly important. The empathy he could give within 30 seconds was really special. Beau was also all about family. He loved to bring his daughter Natalie into the office, usually on Friday afternoons, to spend time with her. When she was there, she was his whole focus. He knew how important it was to tell and show people you love them. Losing Beau is a phenomenal loss—for his family, for the state of Delaware, and for the country. He had intended to run for governor, and he had so much left to give. His legacy is that he took care of people who couldn’t take care of themselves. I hope that we’ll continue to build on his foundation. ### See the Life of Beau Biden  Joe Biden takes a mock oath of office from George H. W. Bush, accompanied by his family in Capitol Hill in Washington on Jan. 3, 1985. Lana Harris—AP  Senator Joseph Biden, (D-Del.), center, waves to a crowd as his train leaves, after he announced his candidacy for President in Wilmington, Del., June 9, 1987\. At right, Biden's son, Beau, carries Biden's daughter Ashley. Next to Biden is his wife, Jill, and son Hunter. George Widman—AP  Vice President Joe Biden walks with his sister, Valerie Biden Owens, Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey, second left, and his son, Beau Biden, Delaware Attorney General, during a visit to Scranton, Pa., on July 3, 2012. Butch Comegys—AP  President Barack Obama shakes hands with Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, left, next to Biden's wife, Hallie Biden, far left, and Delaware Governor Jack Markell as he arrives at New Castle Air National Guard Base in New Castle, Del., on July 17, 2014. Jacquelyn Martin—AP  Beau Biden with then Vice Presidential candidate Senator Joe Biden on stage at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colo. August 27, 2008. Chris Wattie—Reuters  Then Senator Joe Biden embraces his son after his son introduced him at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, August 27, 2008. Larry Downing—Reuters  In this Sept. 30, 2009 file photo, Capt. Beau Biden carries his son Hunter, 3, on his shoulders after an official welcome home ceremony for members of the Delaware Army National Guard 261st Signal Brigade in Dover, Del. 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