Elspeth Dorothy Wright (nee Currie)
Elspeth Dorothy Wright, known to her friends as Beth, to her husband Bill as Buffy, to her daughter Amy as Mama, and to her grandson Rowan as Nana, passed away peacefully on October 29, 2025, at the age of 84.
Beth was born in Brantford, Ontario, to Ruth (Gibson) and Jack Currie, and was the beloved sister of Hugh Currie and Heather Elliott (née Currie). She attended Barrie Central Collegiate Institute and went on to earn her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Ontario, graduating in 1962. She later completed her Bachelor of Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto.
Beth’s lifelong career as an educator was something she was very proud of. She taught elementary students with patience, kindness, and creativity, and after the birth of her daughter, she continued her work as a supply teacher throughout Norfolk County and in Huntsville — always proud to contribute to her community and her students’ growth.
As a teenager, Beth’s musical talents led her to a once-in-a-lifetime experience — she played the flute for Queen Elizabeth II during the Royal Tour of 1959, performing with her band from BCCI on a barge in Gravenhurst. She also travelled to Europe as a flautist with the band in 1958. A talented dancer, she studied ballet and the Highland Fling, and spent her summers at family cottages on Stony Lake joyfully surrounded by her parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Beth loved to tell the story of how she met her husband, William (Bill) Wright. While working as a lifeguard at his apartment building’s pool, Bill made every excuse to linger nearby — testing the pool’s pH levels and volunteering to play the “drowning victim” for her rescue practice. Beth’s many successful “rescues” clearly worked — the two were married on Valentine’s Day, 1970, beginning a partnership that lasted more than five decades.
Beth and Bill settled in Simcoe, Ontario, where Bill worked for Ontario Hydro at the Nanticoke Thermal Generating Station and Beth continued supply teaching. She immersed herself in the local creative community, performing flute in productions with the Simcoe Little Theatre, contributing to the Lynwood Arts Centre, and exploring her love of pottery with fellow artisans.
Beth’s creativity was boundless — she sang, played music, knitted, painted, and sculpted. Her daughter Amy Elizabeth Wright credits her mother for inspiring her own career in the arts, having grown up attending countless musicals, ballets, and theatre performances together — experiences that shaped a lifelong love of creativity and storytelling. Beth’s most cherished creation is her pottery Nativity Scene, handcrafted over 50 years ago and still proudly displayed by the family each Christmas. Her delicate watercolours and pen-and-ink drawings can be found homes across the region, treasured by those lucky enough to receive them.
Beth had a lifelong love for Cedar Grove Lodge, a Muskoka haven she first visited at age three, returning decades later with her own family. In 1994, she and Bill fulfilled a lifelong dream — retiring to Peninsula Lake and building their home on Maplehurst Drive.
In 1995, Beth founded what became known as the Muskoka Palette Packers — a plein-air painting group for local artists inspired by the region’s beauty. Originally called the Muskoka Backpackers, Beth renamed the group when people mistook it for a hiking club. The new name captured the spirit perfectly — artists who packed their palettes and painted outdoors in fields, barns, and lakeside vistas.
Beth was a proud member of Huntsville’s artistic community, volunteering as an usher at the Algonquin Theatre and supporting countless local events. She was also an active member of the Probus Club of Huntsville and later the Probus Club of Muskoka North, participating in many of their activity groups. She delighted in boat cruises around the Muskoka lakes, and in her retirement, she travelled widely — to Cuba, Mexico, Scotland, Portugal, Spain, and beyond, with her favourite being European river cruises.
Beth’s joyful creativity, humour, and warmth touched everyone she met. She leaves behind her devoted husband Bill, her loving daughter Amy Elizabeth Wright, and her cherished grandson Rowan Wright Staines, along with her brother Hugh and sister Heather, her nephews Steven, John, James, and David, her niece Jennifer, and their families, as well as her extended family and many dear friends. Given her many activities and her vibrant presence in the community, she will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved her.
The family would like to thank the wonderful staff at Ontario Shores for their recent care and understanding. They are also deeply grateful to all the caregivers and staff at Muskoka Landing Long Term Care for the exceptional care and support Beth received over the past two years.
At Beth’s request, there will be no visitation or funeral. A celebration of life will be arranged at a later date; please revisit this website for details as they become available.
Memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer Society of Canada (https://alzheimersocietyinmemoriam.crowdchange.ca/90324) or the Huntsville Hospital Foundation (https://huntsvillehospitalfoundation.ca/donate/).
Beth leaves the world more beautiful than she found it — in her art, in her family, and in her love.