Beth Handley

October 2, 1958 – March 7, 2025

Hark, now hear the sailors cry, smell the sea and feel the sky, let your soul and spirit fly into the mystic. —Van Morrison, “Into the Mystic”

Beth Handley, 66, of Portland, OR, passed away peacefully on March 7, 2025 surrounded by her loving husband Bill, their daughters Sierra and Aven, and their daughters’ partners Mark and Myles.

Born on October 2, 1958 in Portland, OR, to Richard and Louise Handley, Beth grew up in beautiful Bandon, OR, and graduated from Bandon High School in 1976. She attended college in Monmouth, OR, and graduated from the Oregon College of Education with a degree in Art in 1982. She later attended the Art Institute of Seattle. She was a true artist and lived a life dedicated to creativity, art of all kinds, and her love for her friends and family.

Beth and her husband Bill were married at her parents’ home in Bandon in 1987 and, after honeymooning in the desert southwest, lived for several years in Seattle, WA. Having met while working at Denali National Park in Alaska, Beth and Bill eventually returned to Alaska, making their home in Juneau. There, they lived and worked for nearly thirty years while raising their two daughters, Sierra and Aven. Beth was a devoted mother who fostered a deep curiosity and love of learning in her children. She shared her compassion for others and her creative outlook with her family, and with the many friends who knew and loved her.

Beth is survived by her husband, Bill Merk; her daughters, Sierra Gotelli and Aven Handley-Merk; her mother, Louise Handley; and her siblings, Rick Handley, Jennifer Handley, and Michael Handley. She was preceded in death by her father, Richard Handley.

A public memorial and celebration of life will be held on Sunday, May 4, 2025 at McMenamins Edgefield in Troutdale, OR.  A second celebration of life will be held in Juneau, AK, in the fall of 2025.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to organizations dedicated to the care and cure of various types of dementia – list of suggestions below. Beth’s family wishes to thank the memory care staff at Emerson House as well as the team at Housecall Providers for their loving hospice care. Thanks also to the medical professionals at Providence Hospital as well as the supportive team at Omega Funeral and Cremation Service in Portland.

Housecall Providers Hospice Care

Alzheimer’s Association – Oregon/SW Washington

Dementia Spring – Art Therapy

American Brain Foundation