Obituary of Beth Gaffney

It is with great sadness that the family of Beth Gaffney (nee McDonald) announces her passing.  Beth was born in Moose Jaw, SK on February 27, 1946 and passed away with family by her side in Regina, SK on July 18, 2020 at the age of 74 years.  She was predeceased by her parents Ted and Alta McDonald and her in-laws Francis and Evelyn Gaffney.  She was brokenhearted by the passing of two of her children: her daughter, Erin Spanier in 2011 and son, David Gaffney in 2017.  Her life will forever be celebrated by her loving husband of 53 years, Brian Gaffney; her daughter Tricia (Jason Scott) and their children Hannah and Carter; son-in-law Ryan Spanier (Erin Latoski) and their children Liam, Ethan, and Cassidy; grandsons Luca and Dante Gaffney and their mother Teresa Ciccone; brother Bob McDonald (Maureen); and brother and sister-in-law Ted and Pat Gaffney.  She will also be lovingly remembered by her niece and nephews, cousins, and extended family and friends.  Without a doubt, Beth was an exceptional wife, mother, and grandmother.  We feel so fortunate that she was ours.

Aside from family, Beth’s greatest joy came from her work as an artist and art instructor.  She was naturally gifted but also worked extremely hard to constantly learn and improve.  As a child in Aneroid, SK, Beth could often be found drawing and working with pastels.  Marriage and motherhood came along after university and a short teaching career but art was always a big part of her life.  With the encouragement of Brian, she took some painting classes when her children were small.  Little did he know where those classes would lead! Over the years, Beth worked with several different mediums – always eager to try new things and learn new techniques.  She always had a special place in her heart for watercolours and acrylics and many of her pieces of work are proudly hung not only around the province, but also around the world.  She was well known for her paintings of homes, doorways, and Saskatchewan landscapes and also enjoyed working on still-life paintings in the last several years.  Beth won many awards for her art over the years. Some of her work was presented to dignitaries (including the Queen of England) and she also had several pieces used by government agencies and the City of Regina for their Christmas cards and other promotional work.  She was very proud of these accomplishments but got the most satisfaction from seeing people find pieces of art that really spoke to them and made them feel something.  Beth enjoyed sharing her expertise by teaching many classes to adults and to children.  It brought her a lot of joy to help people learn more about art and find their own unique style.  She always taught her classes by mixing her own special style of humour and lots of stories into her lessons. She was definitely one of a kind!  We are so grateful that her legacy will live on through her contributions to the art world.    

At Beth’s request, there will be no funeral service.  A private family gathering will take place this summer.  For those wishing, memorial donations can be made to the charity of your choice or by purchasing a piece of art from an up and coming local artist. 

“If love could have saved her, she would have lived forever.”