Carole Janice McCaw (née Nixon)

—Never heard tell.

Surrounded by her family and with the late-afternoon sun shining brightly through the window in her room at the Ottawa Civic Hospital, her hand being held, Carole peacefully took her last breath at cocktail hour, a favourite part of the day.

While her ocean-blue eyes are now closed, her memory lives on in her beloved granddaughter, Poppy; her son, Robbie, who was her pride and joy; and the love of her life, husband of 62 years, Bill McCaw.

Born in Amherst, N.S., Carol was the daughter of the late Raymond and Hilda (Livingstone) Dixon. She was predeceased by her siblings John Dixon, Walter Dixon, and Doreen “Buddy” McCully, and is survived by her brother Raymond Dixon of Sackville, N.B. She also enjoyed the company of her many nieces and nephews.

Carole also enjoyed a special kinship and bond with her daughter-in-law, Erin Clatney, and stepgrandchildren Cleo, Charlotte and Lucas, who adored her wry sense of humour, storytelling, clap-backs and cherish the summers spent together by the sea in Pointe-du-Chêne.

A resident of Moncton most of her adult life, Carole was a proud 30-year member of Moncton Lionettes Club, among other volunteer work and community initiatives, and a good friend to so many. She relocated to Ottawa during the pandemic.

Carole and Bill loved to travel, together visiting nine countries, but closer to home they enjoyed frequent trips to P.E.I. with their life-long friends the Wilsons, of Saint John, and decades summering at the shore in Shediac.

Carole wouldn’t tell you she was her high school’s athlete of the year, but she needn’t; her love for sports was obvious, especially hockey, figure skating and curling, filling many days and nights with joy and excitement. She yelled “shoot the puck.” A lot. Her love of games included Tuesday nights with the “card girls,” in Lewisville, and their travels together. She was a majorette.

Carole loved heirloom tomatoes, yellow beans, fried clams, lobster rolls, stews and, exclusively, Red Rose tea. Her last day on this earth were as she wanted: a two-finger rye and Coke, served surreptitiously but with nurses’ knowing winks, and hand-cut french fries, which made her smile, while songs of Anne Murray and Charlie Pride made her sing, and Poppy dance.

A graveside service will be held on Monday, July 21, at 2:00 p.m. at Fairhaven Cemetery, Moncton, with Rev. David Chung of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church officiating.

Nana, Mum, Carole.

So loved, so missed.