Beth Coulas
Beth Coulas was a special blessing as the first child born to Fern (nee Shine) and Bob Moffatt on February 10, 1961 in Atikokan, Ontario, She had a childhood full of love and family and all the goodness that life in a small town brings – she nurtured her artistic talents, built lifelong friendships, and established solid moral foundations.
A gifted artist, Beth spent her entire life exploring ways to express her passion for art, colour and design. She trained as a fine artist at Sault College where she met her future husband Frank. After graduation, Beth and Frank moved to Alberta to start their lives together.
Beth worked as a floral designer, and soon discovered that she had a talent for turning silk into works of art. She established her own business, Beth Coulas Silks, and created scarves, jewelry, fairies and a vast collection of silk paintings proudly displayed in homes across North America. Through brilliant colour and whimsical settings of angels, children and flowers, Beth’s pieces are a reflection of how she lived her life; purely, simply and honestly.
Beth was naturally personable and always unpretentious. Her down-to-earth style endeared her to anyone she met because you always knew she was the real deal. Beth loved people and their stories. A conversation with Beth was sure to be entertaining and memorable. And somehow, you always walked away with a little life lesson – a new perspective of the world from Beth’s point-of-view.
Beth didn’t need to travel far or gather possessions to find the things that gave her life meaning. Her home was warm, inviting – filled with love and laughter. For Beth, that was always more than enough.
Together, Beth and Frank raised two wonderful children, Jillian and Robert in Devon, Alberta. Drawing on their small town roots, they immersed themselves in community life. They made true “salt-of-the-earth” friends. Beth loved music and she was still singing with the United Sound Group up until a few short weeks ago.
After a brave two-year battle with an inoperable brain tumour, Beth left us in the same way she led her life: on her own terms. She died peacefully in her sleep at home, surrounded by the comfort of her devoted family on Friday, August 23, 2013.
Beth is survived by: the love of her life and husband of 31 years, Frank: their daughter Jillian; their son Robert; Jillian’s husband Kyle Orum and their sweet daughter Natalie; father Bob Moffatt; sister Nancy and her husband Cris Myers and their family Andrea, Karen, Richard Pfeifer, and Paul Dziedziejko; sister-in-law Paula and her husband Riccardo Verin and their children Allison and Terry Golding; aunts, uncles, and cousins of the Moffatt and Shine families; Frank’s family, Lyle, Earl, Fran and her husband Barry Evans, Walt, and Greg and his partner Lucie Hardy, and many nieces and nephews. Beth will be reunited with those who have predeceased her; her mother Fern, her grandmas and grandpas Shine and Moffatt, her mother and father-in-law Catherine and Walter, and Frank’s brother Tony.
We lost a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, aunt, niece, cousin and friend. But thanks to her beautiful legacy and the artwork she has so generously bestowed upon us, Beth’s colourful spirit and joy of life will always be with us.
If you would like to make a donation in memory of Beth, please support the United Church nearest you, The Brain Tumour Foundation, The Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation or the charity that is closest to your heart.
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