Elizabeth (Beth) Merrill Mundy was born on Oct. 31, 1938, to Katherine Heberling Mundy and Merrill Mundy in Dayton, Ohio.
Beth moved to Whittier, Calif., in 1948 and graduated from California High School in 1956. She graduated from Pomona College in Claremont, Calif., in 1960. After graduation she took classes in graphic design at Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles. Beth married Darrell Duke in 1964. She moved to Ketchum in 1973 and spent from 1974 to 1987 moving back and forth between Ketchum and Southern California. When Beth was in Ketchum, she worked at Louie's restaurant where she had many fun times and made many friends. When in California, she free-lanced at various ad agencies and art studios.
Those who worked with Beth knew she had a special talent for taking an ordinary art project to a new level, which showed in the work she did for many local magazines. Beth loved her work as art director for Oh! Idaho, The Valley Magazine, Sun Valley Magazine and Boise Magazine. She was also a freelance designer for Typographics. She was creative director for a wine magazine in Sonoma, Calif., for many years. Recently, Beth had been working as assistant to the head of the regional history department at Ketchum Community Library.
Beth's hobbies were photography, cross-country skiing and traveling. She was involved in Idaho Conservation League and monitoring Highway 75 expansion projects. In the past few years she had traveled to Morocco, Thailand, Italy, Guatemala and Tanzania.
Beth was a strong, independent and very special woman and will be deeply missed by her many friends living in the valley and far away. Her friends will remember her as a person who was a dedicated friend, who cared deeply about this valley, had a delightful sense of humor and was a gracious and moral individual.
Beth is survived by her stepsister Marilyn Gregg Baybutt and niece, Hannah Baybutt, of Hailey, stepsister Kathy Gregg Fricke of New Jersey and stepbrother, Don Gregg, of Newport Beach, Calif., and their families.
Donations to honor her memory may be made to the Hunger Coalition, Box 1576, Hailey, ID 83333 or to Idaho Rivers United, 2600 Rose Hill, Suite No. 201, Boise, ID 83705.
A celebration of her life will be held at a later date.
Funeral arrangements were under the care of Wood River Chapel. Friends and family are invited to leave condolences and share memories at www.woodriverchapel.com.
