Celebrating Sheena Fraser McGoogan
Our daughter Keriann McGoogan, author of Chasing Lemurs and the forthcoming Jungle Women, tells a story about how her artist-mother, Sheena Fraser McGoogan, instilled in her an independence of spirit. One of her sharpest memories from pre-school days finds her colouring while Sheena was volunteering in the classroom.
Keriann pulled out the brightest green crayon she could find and “started really going at the page.” From behind her came a voice. “Keriann.” It was her teacher. “Stop scribbling!”
The little girl turned bright red, put down her crayon, and looked at the page before her. She had thought this was her masterpiece. Now, looking with fresh eyes, she felt ashamed of the sharp, dark lines she had produced.
When she looked up again her mother was there, emerging out of thin air like a superhero. “She’s not scribbling!” she said to the teacher, her voice firm and sharp. She bent over Keriann and gently put the crayon back into her hand: “You keep going.”
That moment was the first of many in which Sheena guided Keriann and her equally brilliant older brother, Carlin, into becoming, respectively, an emerging author and a precedent-setting, Toronto-based, civil litigation lawyer.
Sheena Fraser McGoogan, beloved wife of author Ken McGoogan, passed away on August 4th, 2024, at Grand River Hospital in Kitchener, Ontario. She was born on February 7, 1947, in Montreal to Frederick and Meada Fraser. With her four siblings — Beth, Mairi, Ross, and Ian — Sheena grew up west of the city in Hudson, Quebec.
Strongly influenced by her maternal grandfather, Albert Pattison, a professional artist and illustrator, she trained as an artist and art teacher at MacDonald College/ McGill University and University of British Columbia. She later mounted one-woman shows at several Toronto galleries.
In 1968, while visiting a pub in Deux Montagnes, Quebec, with school-teacher friends, she met the vagabond Ken McGoogan.
The following year, in Bradford, England, she married him. With Ken, Sheena spent a summer working as a fire lookout atop Mount Sarbach in the Canadian Rockies. Over the decades, the two travelled from Scotland, Ireland, and France to Tasmania and the Blue Mountains of Australia; from Canada’s Northwest Passage (repeatedly with Adventure Canada) to Singapore, Malaysia, and the Perhentian Islands; and from India and Sri Lanka to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where she taught at the International School of Tanganyika.
Sheena especially loved visiting Scotland, traipsing around the Highlands, the Outer Hebrides, Orkney, and St. Kilda while tracing her fighting-Fraser ancestors through the Battle of Culloden. She thrilled to visit the famous monument to Robbie Burns in Mauchline, designed by her paternal grandfather, William Fraser, an architect who later created notable neo-classical buildings in downtown Toronto.
For twenty years, while as a mother she raised her two children, Sheena worked as a teacher in Calgary, Alberta. In Canada, forever painting and drawing, she lived also in Montreal, Vancouver, Nelson, Fredericton, Toronto, and Guelph. Along the way, inspired by the places the visited, she painted mostly landscapes – bold, vivid works celebrating the Quebec countryside, the colorful houses on the coast of Greenland, or the sheep, flowers, and rolling hills of the Isle of Skye.
In the Toronto Beaches, after she retired from teaching, Sheena set up an art studio—a “she-shed,” as she called it—and the art exploded out of her. For Keriann, it was a treat to watch this happen — and an inspiration. “Because of my mother,” she says, “the woman who insisted that I was not scribbling, I can tap into my creative spirit.”
Sheena Fraser McGoogan is survived by her siblings Ross, Ian, and Mairi, her husband Ken, her son Carlin, daughter-in-law Sylwia, grandson James, granddaughter Veronica, daughter Keriann, son-in-law Travis. To honour Sheena’s memory, donations may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society.
Arrangements are being handled by Gilbert MacIntyre & Son Hart Chapel in Guelph. We will hold a Celebration of Life at a later date in Toronto.
My heart goes you out to you Ken, and to Sheena’s siblings Ross, Ian, and Mairi, and to Carlin, Sylwia, James, Veronica, Keriann, and Travis, on this sad news. Sheena was always a lovely person to chat with, and her artwork is beautiful, a lasting piece of her for present and future generations. Take care.
I can’t believe I’ll never get the chance to travel with Sheena again. I’m so sorry for your loss.
I cannot believe dear Sheena is gone. Such a lovely, talented and cheerful lady.
Having had the privilege to travel with her and you , Ken ,on the North-West Passage is a cherished memory forever.
So sad to think Sheena left you and family. I will remember her forever .
My heartfelt condolences to all of you.
Love, Ginette
We are so sorry to hear of Sheena’s passing. I have many lovely memories painting with Sheena. She inspired so many people with her art and her traipsing around the world. Dear Ken, our hearts go out to you and your family.
Love,Linsay and David
We are stunned and saddened to learn of Sheena’s passing. Please accept our condolences to you and family.
Slàinte mhòr! To Sheena’s indomitable spirit, to the imprints she wove into the cloth of everyone’s lives, and to the forever bonds that connect her to family and friends.
Sheena had a way of looking at life, and i will always think of her friendly smile and beautiful outlook on life as shown through her paintings and everything that she did. A true honor to have known Sheena Frazer McGoogan— a person to remember.
So very sorry for the loss of your lovely wife, Sheena. We love her paintings . May the Lord comfort you and your family. Love, Mary McGoogan and family from Arkansas USA.
Ken, I am so terribly sorry and sad this morning, learning of Sheena’s passing. I was looking forward to seeing you both later this month and can’t believe I won’t see her again. I love her work – one of her beautiful iceberg paintings hangs in my living room, reminding me every day of the talent and passion of one of my favourite people. Please give my condolences and love to Carlin and Keriann. She was a lovely person and will be so missed.
The world will miss the radiant, funny, energetic creative force of Sheena Fraser McGoogan. We have so many wonderful memories of our days in the Beaches with you both, watching Sheena’s career as an artist really take off as the two of you travelled the world together. What a team. Much love to you Ken, Keriann, Carlin and your entire family. Your friends, Val and Patrick
Dear Ken & family, am so sad to learn of Sheena’s passing. Such a bright spirit full of love. You both seemed so imbued with life & energy, travelling all the time, while still writing and painting. Reading recently of the need to have humans in fire watch towers I thought of you both. Her large Iceberg painting hangs on my wall, always admired by all. The both of you were truly a special Canadian artist couple, the writer & the painter. May you find the strength to continue.
We are so sad to hear about Sheena. She was so loved by our family. My mum and I have fond memories of our trip to Sri Lanka and of little things like Sheena and Mum and I making a banner for my brother and his wife after his wedding. Mum remembers your (epic?) Dawson City trip. Our thoughts are with your dear family. Much love to you all.
Ken, my deepest, deepest condolences. Sheena was the loveliest of ladies who seemed to just sparkle from within. My heart goes out to you. Keeping you and your family in my thoughts and heart.
Dear Ken and family, I am so sorry to hear about Sheena’s passing . I was so fortunate to have met you both and to spend time exploring art and galleries with Sheena. Sheena is an exceptional woman who will be missed deeply but her love will always be around you.
Ken and family, we are so very saddened about the passing of such a wonderful wife mother and friend to so many. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all. Be strong in these very difficult times and take care. Bob Young
Sheena was my sister in law from my 1st marriage to her sister Beth. I will remember her friendly smile infectious laughter and colourful art. Say hello to Beth, Sheena.
Very big condolences, Ken. Some things just shouldn’t happen and not much one can say except here at your publishing house we’re all really feeling for you and your amazing family. Howard
We are very sorry to hear that Sheena has died. We have fond memories of talking with her at gatherings of friends in Toronto, and of her vivid and beautiful paintings. Our deepest sympathy to Ken, Keriann, Carlin and all her family. Liz and Jerry Lawless
Sheena was a vivacious, talented, and creative personality who literally radiated the joy she took in life. She was a fitting counterpart to her equally creative husband (albeit in a different medium). Artists such as Sheena are different than the rest of us; they must be perceptive and empathic, distilling what they see down to its very essence and eliminating the superfluous. It is a rare skill which she clearly possessed in abundance. She will be sorely missed. Our deepest condolences go out to Ken and his family.
Ken and family, I was saddened to read of Sheena’s death. She was a caring and talented teacher and my colleague at two schools in Calgary. We loved her art and her creativity but most of all we loved the person. Upbeat and fun. Sheena always spoke with pride about Ken and her children and their accomplishments. She will be missed by many.
I wish you all peace as you move on without her.
Dear Ken and Family,
I had the good fortune to have worked with Sheena as a teacher colleague at an elementary school in northeast Calgary. She was loved by her students and the other teachers on staff… Her enthusiasm for engaging with young children, her creativity and her openness to experience all forms of educational expertise as well as her sense of humor has always been a special memory. Her smile infectiously brought happiness to many. My thoughts are with you!
Dear Ken,
Whenever I fondly recall my trip to Greenland with you and Sheena (on Adventure Canada) I see Sheena’s explosion of colour on canvas in her depiction of Greenlandic life; whenever I discover a wonderful new authour I remember Sheena’s enthusiastic engagement in discussions of new books we have read; whenever I read something YOU have written, your partner immediately comes to mind.
With the greatest sadness we all mourn her passing.
To Ken and family,
I am so very sorry to learn from Ian, of the death of Sheena. Although I never had the opportunity to meet
Sheena in person, I have reason to be grateful to her for all the family history information she so selflessly shared with me over the past five or six years. Many emails were exchanged and my life is enriched by the amount of history and family photographs that we shared.
I know that she was a woman of many talents and adored by her family.
I wish that we could have met to discuss our mutual history together without there being thousands of miles between us.
My sincere condolences to all the family,
With Regards, Lynn Yates. Shropshire UK