Colette Marie Wagner

Colette Marie Wagner, age 79 of Belliveau Cove, passed away peacefully, Dec 27, 2022 at Digby General Hospital. She was the daughter of the late Eddie and Velma (Gaudet) Dionne. Colette was born at Dionne’s Restaurant & Cabins (Roadside Grill) in Belliveau Cove, which is also where she met the love of her life, Avard Wagner, at the young age of 16. They were married the following year in Ontario where she had her first child, Lynn, at 18 years old. A mere 18 months later, she had twins, Rhonda and Donna. Her life was not easy having three babies to care for at such a young age, while Avard worked at General Motors. Colette and Avard raised their family in Whitby, Ontario, returning to her home of Nova Scotia after 35 years.

Colette didn’t sit still very long until her final year of life. She was high energy, but definitely not high maintenance. She loved to cook, bake, play bingo, roller skate, scratch lottery tickets, feed cats and birds, watch Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune and have fun! She adored her beloved cat, Bea. She also had a love for antiques and her home was like a museum full of many things that had sentimental value to her and a story to tell with each piece.

Her years of working in the deli at Miracle Food Mart with her best friend Carol, showcased her talents when making fancy meat trays, fruit trays or the ever-popular pineapple cheeseball for special events like church teas. Of course this was long before the now popular charcuterie boards!

Whether she was playing Santa Claus, Mrs Claus, The Queen of Hearts, a Nun or travelling around with her one-man show, Bert and his bag of tricks, she loved to laugh and certainly didn’t mind an off-colour joke! Colette also loved to welcome visitors into her home, even those she never met. If they were friends of her daughters’ or family, they were welcome in her home and she has a full guest book to prove it. She loved showing her visitors around the Cove, gave guided tours of the St Bernard church and other sights in the area. Her favourite thing to do with her guests was clam digging and show them quahogs where she would put salt on a table for everyone to watch with disgust and glee, the big tongue come out to lick the salt!

Sadly, Alzheimer’s took away some of Colette’s favourite things. In her last year of life, she was happy to sit in her chair and watch people clam digging through her binoculars or sit on her front porch and talk to people who visited the restaurant next door where she was born. Even though she retold the same stories, those who loved her were happy to listen as if it was the first time.

Colette will be missed dearly by her husband of 62 years, Avard, her three daughters, sons-in-laws, eight grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, brother Caesar and many friends. Cremation has taken place under the care of Jayne’s Funeral Home, Digby. Donations in Colette’s memory can be made to Alzheimer Society of Canada. A Celebration of Life will be held at 11 am on September 18, 2023 from Weymouth Church of Christ, Pastor Darrell Haines.