Elizabeth “Beth” Hundey

To Beth's family, I am so sorry for your loss. I didn't know Beth personally, but was a student in the C4CC course where I got to know her a bit. I can't tell you how important the course was for my soul (and brain!), and Beth's participation clearly was pivotal. It breaks my heart that such a creative, smart, and vibrant person left us at such a young age. I will try to do what I can to carry out her climate legacy. All the best in your healing process. Lynne Zarbatany Professor Emerita Department of Psychology Western University

I feel incredibly lucky to have known Beth and I am heartbroken to hear of her passing. I will be forever grateful for everything Beth shared with me (and the world) about teaching and kindness. My deepest condolences to friends and family.

Rick and family. We hope you can imagine your 'girls' Jane and Beth with their beautiful smiles greeting each other as they are reunited. Beth inherited her mother's fighting spirit and positive attitude despite many challenges. You, Eric, Tim, Seneca, and their families will miss Beth very much and no doubt will carry on her good works in her name. We wish we could be there to celebrate Beth's life but we will be with you in spirit. Keeping you all close to our hearts. Much love. Mike and Glenys Go Team Awesome!

Beth was the best instructor I have ever had. She impacted my life so positively and I will always be grateful to her for her kindness, empathy, intelligence and trust. When classes moved online in March 2020, Beth kept lecturing online for the students that wanted to keep that connection and it quickly became my favourite part of my week. Sending all my love to her family.

Shocked to come across this news. My deepest sympathies to Beth’s family & friends Nicole

Dear Rick, Tim, Eric, and families; I am so saddened to hear about Beth's passing. Being second cousins on Jane's side and never meeting in person, I will always remember her kindness and her interest in reaching out to me by email. My heart goes out to your entire family during this difficult time.

Dearest Rick, & Hundey Family No words can ever ease the pain each of you are experiencing right now. Our love and prayers are with you and we know God will recall all those precious memories of cottage time, tye dying t- shirts, painting classes, walks on the Trail, crafts, and so so many more. One of the many things we remember was her infectious smile, everytime she entered a room. She will be dearly missed by all who had the privilege to know her. Love & Hugs Doug & Nancy

Beth was always so welcoming, kind, and beyond knowledgeable. I had the pleasure of meeting her while I was in graduate school, at a conference at Western. Her thought leadership and kind words really encouraged me to pursue a career following her footsteps in educational development. I am thinking of her family and friends and wishing you all the best during this very sad time.

Dear Sanford and Hundey families and friends, my sincerest condolences on the loss of Beth. Beth and I met as graduate students at Western and would go on to become colleagues in the Teaching Support Centre. She was a magnetic person - full of energy, kindness, and a brilliant wit. She was endlessly curious, and it was that curiosity and her passion for learning and teaching that drew me, and many others to her. She made an indelible mark on the higher education community across Canada, both through her work and through her mentorship and advocacy. Wishing you all solace and peace in this difficult time.

Dear Eric, Julie, Lucas, Alana and Grace I was very sad to hear about your sister and Aunt Beth. What an amazing accomplished young woman. Please extend my condolences to all of Beth's family. She will be deeply missed by so many people. Know that she will be just as awesome as an angel looking over all of you. Much love Aunt Mary Lou

Beth was so kind, intelligent, incredibly funny, and a force to be reckoned with in the best way in our educational development community. Her loss will be deeply felt. Sending best wishes for comfort and care to her family and friends.

Beth, you were so beautiful, so funny, so fun, so great to talk to, so smart, so passionate about your work, so loving about your family, such a great friend. We laughed so much. You were the greatest friend I could have wished for. Am I ever lucky for the time I had with you. You gave me some of the very best memories of my life. I am heartbroken but I am thinking about how you made your dreams come true and lived such a full life. You were so special there is nobody else like you. The last time we talked you called me to say you were going to be on CBC radio. I looked back at our last text messages and was surprised to find the very words I need to hear now. Wow. Thank you Beth. Love you. -your lodger forever (inside joke) To Rick, Beth’s brothers, Seneca, Percy and family: I am thinking of you. She was so loved by all who knew her!

Most measure a good life by the number of years lived, but some Souls need less time to deeply touch all who cross their path. Beth's beautiful light, kindness and joy continue to live with us. Eternally grateful for lessons you taught us.

Our deepest condolences to the Hundey and Sanford families at this sad time. We are thinking of you as you celebrate Beth's remarkable life, and pray you will find comfort in the positive, lasting impact she had on so many who were blessed to know her and to benefit from her guidance and friendship. We're thankful that members of our family had the opportunity to meet her when she attended our family reunion with Seneca and other Sanford family members last August in Toronto. May you all be comforted by fond memories and by Beth's legacy that will be continued through all the positive change she has inspired.

A donation has been made to Team Awesome Exeter c/o the Terry Fox Foundation. Message from the donator: Words fail to express my deep sorrow at this time. What a remarkable person Beth was & she made a difference in so many ways. Beth was a Superstar and her light will continue to shine on. Our Deepest Condolences to the Hundey & Sanford families Lynn & Wayne Peck

We feel fortunate to have spent some time with Beth just last month. Despite her illness she was engaging, animated, and witty – all testimony to her fortitude. This remarkable woman refused to let cancer define who she was. Our deepest condolences to the Sanford and Hundey families.

Five minutes after I first met Beth, I knew she was an incredible role model for women in academia and as a person who connected their values, expertise, and life in the broader world to create change. Beth was generous with her time, fiercely brilliant, and leveraged her considerable intellectual and creative talent to bring new insights and joy to the communities she was a part of. I am so sorry we've lost such a beautiful light in the world. Sending compassion, care, and endless love to her family and communities.

I learned with great sadness that the beautiful woman I was fortunate to know has passed away today. When I came to the University of Western Ontario with conditional admission, Beth had just completed her Bachelor's degree and was pursuing her Master's. During my five years as a graduate student at Western, Beth and I took several foundational courses together. Although my educational background in Ethiopia, the Netherlands, and the USA prepared me well for the challenges I faced at Western, the transition inevitably tested my adaptability, flexibility, and resilience. Having a non-judgmental and supportive friend like Beth was instrumental in helping me navigate these challenges. She was not just a classmate; she was a caring friend, a soccer buddy, and one of the few kind, generous, and cheerful individuals I met during my time there. Beth taught me that true friendship transcends where one is born or the culture one comes from and can be found on the ground of mutual respect, understanding, and shared values. After completing graduate school, I did not secure a job immediately and was teaching a few courses at Western as a sessional instructor. However, Beth quickly introduced me to her mother, who works as a municipal officer (a position like that) in southwestern Ontario, to get me a job. However, soon after a few back-and-forth emails with her mom, I was able to secure a relatively stable postdoctoral fellow position in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Her kindness in reaching out to her mother on behalf of an African immigrant is a testament to her character and personality. A few years ago, Beth invited me to participate in a noble cause of supporting the fundraising activities she led for the Terry Fox Foundation. This allowed me to contribute to lifesaving cancer research and inspire hope for children and adolescents affected by cancer. Although my donations were modest, I received a receipt for my contributions, the latest one was this past December. This past summer, when I visited Western to show my wife my old school, I stopped by her office hoping to surprise her. Unfortunately, she wasn’t there, so I took a picture of her office door as evidence that I had visited and sent it to her. The last time I chatted with Beth was exactly a month ago. I was in Detroit for the American Association of Geographers (AAG) conference and asked her if she or any of our mutual friends from Western would be attending. She replied, "I’m not sure who is going. People love the AAG, but not everyone probably wants to go to the US right now." Today, I received the devastating news from her husband, Seneca, who shared a lab with me during my first two years of graduate school. He and Beth were not just a married couple; they were also very good friends. I cannot imagine how difficult this must be for Seneca. While I know there are no words of comfort I can offer, I want him to know that Beth touched the lives of many, including mine, and I am also grieving. Seneca, today, my friends were fundraising to buy and deliver lifesaving equipment from Sweden to health posts in the remotest parts of Oromia, Ethiopia, to save the lives of children. In commemorating your wife and our friend Beth, I will donate to this cause. May she rest in peace.

A donation has been made. Message from the donator: Thinking of you during this difficult time.

I was lucky enough to know Beth through our mutual involvement in curriculum development professional communities. Her commitment to equity and environmental work, and the importance of that in higher education, was inspirational, and I'm honoured to have had the opportunity to learn from her. I'm grateful to have known her, and I wish her family and friends solace and peace in this incredibly difficult time.

Deeply sorry to hear of Beth's passing. I am a cousin of her father Rick's. I send condolences to her husband and the entire family.

Sending thoughts and prayers to the Hundey and Sanford families during this time. I was fortunate to have known Beth through the educational development world, where she was a fierce force for positive change. The good she has done in this world will not soon be forgotten.

I’m so sorry to hear of Beth’s passing. Beth’s spirit is strong in the gratitude I see in everyone who knows her, and learned from her. I learned from Beth how to find my gifts and put them to use in service of the planet and life itself. Thank you Beth for your beautiful self, your giant heart and mind, and the gifts you shared with your community which continue to ripple outward.

Rick, we are so sorry to hear of Beth's passing. Please accept our condolences and know that you and your family are in our thoughts and prayers.

We are very sorry to hear of your loss. Our deepest sympathy to both Mr. Sandford and Percy.

I wish I could have said thank you one more time. Thank you for being one of my most formative mentors. Thank you for paving the way for others to continue your incredible work. Thank you for leaning into your passions for teaching, learning, and climate justice to inspire others. You've touched the hearts (and brains) of so many. Thank you.

Thinking of you, Seneca, and all the family.

Sending condolences and prayers of comfort to Beth’s family!

Sanford and Hundey families, We are saddened to hear about the passing of Beth. Please accept our deepest sympathies for your loss. Seneca, we know there are no words to express how much you are all hurting right now, but please know that we are thinking of you and your family during this difficult time. We will always remember Beth’s wonderful smile and cherish the times we spent together at your wedding. Beth was such a kind and generous person, and we will miss her dearly. Uncle Frederick, Aunty Desiree, Sherri, Richard and family are here for you. With deepest sympathy and love, Forte Family

Sandord and Hundey families: My colleague at the Teaching and Learning Centre at Western was a true light - for education, for humanity, for the environment, and most of all for her colleagues and family. Through the sharing of stories about our time with Beth, her memory and that light, will not fade. I am sending my sincere condolences on the loss of this wonderful human. <3

Hundey and Sandord families, accept my condolences. The news of Beth's death was a shock and very devastating. Beth was full of life and energy, and her smile was infectious to anyone who encountered her. She was very approachable, and the only permission you needed to talk to her was to see her office door open. Beth believed in my abilities the first day we met and gave me several opportunities and academic resources as a student working with her to improve my knowledge in our shared interest in the environment. Praying for God's strength and blessing for the family and all loved ones through this challenging moment. Rest well, Beth.

Dear Hundey and Sandord families, What a shock to hear of Beth's passing. She was a truly wonderful human whose wide-eyed inquisitiveness and immense heart left a lasting imprint on those around her. As a former teacher of Beth, my many memories of her revolve around her in my history classroom at South Huron DHS. She was innocent, charming, funny, and just lit up the room she was in. She was horrified to find out that "no parking" in the 1950s was not about actually parking of a car. We still laughed about her reaction and her innocence about "parking" many years later. Though she thought she might want to be a history teacher herself after her time at SHDHS, she became hooked on geography at Western, and she went on to change so many of her own students' lives. It was a joy to reconnect with Beth over COVID and have her speak online to a geography class I was teaching about her love of paleolimnology and all that it entailed. My own students were enthralled by her knowledge and passion for the world around her. She made me so very proud to see her success as an educator, and I know that your pride in her is ten times my own. Beth was truly one of a kind and the world is a little darker without her in it. May your love and many wonderful memories help you through this terrible time. Thinking of you all. 🫂 Tracy McLennan

Sanford and Hundey families, Please accept my deepest condolences. Beth was an extraordinary person whose warmth, intelligence, and vibrant spirit left a lasting impression on everyone who met her. Her passion for learning, her dedication to her students and colleagues, and her love for nature and adventure were inspiring. Though words cannot ease the pain of this profound loss, I hope you find comfort in the love that surrounds you and the countless lives Beth touched so deeply. Her legacy will continue to live on through the memories you cherish and the values she carried.

My heartfelt condolences go out to your families at this time. Beth was just one of the very, very best humans. She had such a wonderful sense of humour, she was deeply kind, smart as heck, and driven with purpose to make the world a little bit better. I will always remember her adventurous and creative spirit, and will fondly remember a backcountry trip we shared. She will not be forgotten.

Rick: I was so deeply, deeply saddened to learn of the death of your daughter, Beth. Such a gifted, many-talented, smart and athletic person she must have been. And, above all, she sounds like a person who really enjoyed life. I'm quite at a loss to express my sadness as I believe that there would be absolutely nothing worse for a parent than to lose one's child. May blessings and blessings pour upon you and the whole family.