Obituary of Beth Ediger

Elizabeth “Beth” Cattley Ediger 1935 - 2025

Beth Ediger leaves her beloved daughter, Julia, and Julia's partner, Tara Holtom, her brother, Roger and nephews and nieces in Australia. Her husband Nicholas predeceased her in 2005.

Beth was born in Fredericton and obtained a BA from UNB in 1957. While at university, she worked summers as an officer cadet with the RCAF on various stations in Ontario, Alberta and Germany. After graduation she studied at the University in Bonn, Germany on an exchange scholarship. She then got a job in Montreal as secretary to an analyst for Keystone Mutual Funds. When the Canadian office for Keystone closed down, she worked for a small insurance agency, then went to Time Magazine as a researcher. But in those days, women could not move up the ladder at Time, even to be writers, and she moved to Toronto for a qualifying year for a masters in economics at the U of T. She soon discovered that she did not have the required background or temperament for academic economics, and took a job as projects manager at the Ontario Dept. of Trade and Economics, travelling to Japan with a team to research the background for the Ontario pavilion at Expo 1970. After a year, she was hired on as an editor for the Toronto office of the global management consultants McKinsey & Co. then, in 1972, moved to Ottawa as editor for the Economic Council of Canada.

She married Nicholas Ediger in 1973, and worked part-time as an editor for various government departments, the Bank of Canada and two royal commissions while her daughter was small. She had contracted fibromyalgia in 1975 and, when this disease was finally recognized by the medical profession in 1985, she organized a support group, put out a newsletter and got in touch with other fledgling support associations in North America and Norway. Her booklet "Coping with Fibromyalgia" was for years the definitive source of information on the syndrome. When she and Nick retired, they moved to Fredericton, where they spent several happy years together.

In keeping with Beth’s wishes, there will be no services. In lieu of flowers, it was Beth’s request that memorial donations may be made to CARMA Cat Rescue Maritimes. Loved ones are invited to visit Beth’s memorial page at bethediger.ca.