Beth Feinstein-Bartl, journalist, longtime Hollywood resident, friend to all animals, died on May 11 after fighting lung cancer. She was 59.

Since the 1980s Beth wrote for several local publications including Waterfront Times, the long defunct daily newspaper the Sun-Tattler in Hollywood, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and Miami Herald, among others. She reported on boating, city hall news, business, the local arts and music scene and community features. Most recently she was a staff writer at retail trade publication Shop! Retail Environments, where she won a Tabbie Award last year for her piece on retail renovation, according to the publication.

“She felt immense responsibility as a journalist, and like many reporters, she’d agonize about getting the story right for the readers and the people she wrote about,” said reporter Eileen Soler, who often worked with Beth. “It didn’t matter if she was working a pet blessing event, the opening of a new neighborhood restaurant, or on a garage band’s first CD release... everyone who’d we meet treated her like a new friend.”

One of the hardest pieces Beth had to write was an obituary in late 2014 for Gregg Bartl, her husband of 25 years, who had delivered Waterfront Times.

During her 30 years in South Florida, Beth acquired many friends.

“For all of the rides home and crazy conversations about stories you have written, I always appreciated your presence,” wrote Desmond Spencer on Beth’s Facebook page. They had worked together at Salvatore Ferragamo in Sunrise where Beth began a second career in retail.

Friend Cormella Murray Bryant talked about how she and Beth walked their dogs around their west Hollywood neighborhood while chatting about concerts, art and the new offbeat boutiques Beth liked to scour.

“She would tell me [that] she had brought some cute things and then proceed to say we will catch the next one together. That was my friend, always thinking about someone else.”

Born in Kingston, N.Y., Beth graduated from Farleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, N.J. after studying journalism and mass communications.

“Even when we were kids, Beth knew she wanted to be a journalist,” said lifelong friend Mary Palkowetz of Harrisburg, Pa. “She had a great wit about her.”

Beth is survived by her mother, Corine Reich, of West Orange, N.J., father Irwin Feinstein, brother Zach Feinstein and his wife, Jenna of St. Paul, Minn., two nieces and a nephew. Beth was also a proud pet parent to Spike the dog and cats Irma and Frederick, who are all now being cared for by her mother.

Beth’s family requests that memorial donations be made to the Ulster County SPCA, 20 Wiedy Road, Kingston, NY 12401.