Ann will be greatly missed by her children, Dianne (Donnie) MacDonald and Wally (Kim) Johnston; her grandchildren, Darren (Susan), Dawn (Rodney), Angela (Andrew) and Tessa (Ryan); and her great-grandchildren Darian, Dylan, Owen, Madison, Payton, Chloe and Charlee. Ann is also survived by many wonderful nieces and nephews, sister-in-laws Judy and Dodie Budden, and friends Debbie Johnston and Tommy Wadden.
Born in Glace Bay, she was the daughter of the late John and Mary (Clark) Budden, who hailed from Victoria, Newfoundland. Ann was the last surviving sibling of the Budden clan. She was predeceased by her brothers Abel “Abe”, Albert, Arthur “Art”, John “Jack”, Leonard, Robert “Bob”, Gerald “Jerry”, Dennis (in infancy) and sisters Edith and Florence.
On a fateful evening around 1940, Ann and her friend were walking on Hornes Road, heading back to her friend’s cottage as it was getting dark. A truck pulled up beside them to see if the girls needed a drive home. Little did she know that the passenger of that truck would become the love of her life. She spent 63 years married to her best friend, Mr. Earl Johnston of Glace Bay. Not long after they started to “court”, Earl was sent overseas during WWII for three years. Their love persisted, and Earl knew he would return as he had “the most beautiful girl in town waiting for him”. Apart from a short stint in Toronto, they raised their beautiful family in Glace Bay, not far from the original Budden homestead. Earl passed away in 2009 with Ann by his side.
Ann found happiness in spending time with her family in her later life, especially out on the Mira on her swing, watching the boats go by and on her many adventures with her granddaughter to find the best ice cream. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren brought her immense joy.
She often told stories of growing up and playing with her siblings on Morien Hill. Like many families during that era, money was tight, but the love was bountiful. She only looked back on her childhood with fond memories of a wonderful family. The siblings remained close and raised their families together, with all the cousins sharing that special Budden bond. When the children were younger, the Budden crews would spend their summers camping in Ingonish. As grandchildren came along, they hosted the legendary Budden Family reunions.
Once the children were grown, Ann and Earl spent their time travelling and spending their summer in their trailer on the Mira. They did everything together and set an excellent example of what true love should be. Ann had many friends, many of whom she met at Newsom Church, especially as part of the UCW. She was predeceased by an exceptional friend and sister-in-law, Neila Johnston. Their nightly phone calls, meals at Colette’s, trips to the mall and attending church on Sundays kept their bond strong.
The family would like to thank the staff at Celtic Court, where Ann spent the last two years. They provided excellent care and went above and beyond to support the family. We were very fortunate that her granddaughter Tessa is employed there and provided exceptional care for her grandmother and unparallel guidance and support for the entire family during Ann’s transition to Long Term Care. We also want to extend a special thank you to Janet Ervin for the kindness and love she showed Nanny and the vast support and laughter she brought to the family.
A visitation will take place from 6 pm-8 pm on Wednesday, March 16th, at Patten Funeral Home, 71 Union Street, Glace Bay. A Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday, March 17th at 11 am at Newsom United Church in Glace Bay. Those unable to attend in person may view the livestream of the service on Patten Funeral Home’s Facebook page. Memories may be shared with the family by visiting www.pattenfuneral.com. If desired, donations in Ann’s memory may be made to the charity of your choice, or just take a loved one out for an ice cream adventure.
