Obituary of Mary Colleen Barrington

69, Wellington, NS, passed away on July 17, 2021 at home surrounded by family. She fought a long, hard battle against a very rare cancer. Colleen was born August 15, 1951 in Glace Bay to Michael and Mary Catherine (MacDonald) MacKinnon. She will be lovingly remembered by her children: Earle Barrington, Charles (Jenn) Barrington, Mary (A.J.) George, Colleen (Michael) Barrington, and Anne (Alexander) Lovely. “Gramee” will be deeply missed by her grandsons Maddox, Breton, Coleman, Kinnon and Malcolm George, and her granddaughter Lily Lovely. Colleen leaves behind siblings: Michael (Lydia) MacKinnon, Anne (Cecil) MacKinnon, Joe (Kendra) MacKinnon, Isabel “Bitsy” (Warren) Rose, Ross (Raylene) MacKinnon, George (Ramona) MacKinnon, and Danette Donovan. She is also survived by in-laws: Richard (Cathy), Donald (Julie), Bruce, Blaise (Shelley) Barrington, as well as her father-in-law Charlie Barrington. Colleen will be forever remembered by her numerous nieces, nephews, extended family, and dear friends. Including her parents, Colleen was predeceased by her brother Daniel “Bobby”, infant sister Mary, mother-in-law Theresa “Sis” (LeBlanc) Barrington, brother-in-law Alan Donovan, sister-in-law Sheila Barrington, and nephew Russell MacKinnon. Colleen graduated from St. Michael’s Senior High School in Glace Bay. She attended Sydney City Hospital School of Nursing, where she briefly nursed. She had been able to reconnect with many of her classmates in recent years and valued their time together. Colleen met the love of her life, Earl, in Northside East Bay in 1969, not far from where they would later spend countless years with their family at their bungalow. She spent much of her life working alongside her husband, Earl. They were an inseparable pair. Mum was the light of our lives. She had the brightest smile and the most infectious laugh. She was our unwavering cheerleader and our biggest fan; never missing an opportunity to tell us how much she loved us and how proud she was of us all. She was our solid foundation and worked tirelessly to care for her family. She would strike up a conversation with the many people she met, whether it was a cashier, someone waiting in line, or anyone on a job site. You could say, if you put two ears on a fence post, she would talk to it all day. She truly had a special gift; she genuinely cared to remember all the details (even birthdays) of the many people fortunate enough to have crossed paths with her. Always the most vibrant person in the room, Mum’s outfits were perfectly coordinated down to her shoes and belt buckles. She enjoyed many years of ice skating with the “senior” skaters and formed many great friendships there. She was well-known for her Skor Squares, Rice Krispie Squares, and Chicken and Broccoli casserole. Her grandchildren will miss Gramee’s special scrambled eggs. In her memory, she would love for people to treat themselves to something special. Her personal favourites were getting Chinese food or a new pair of shoes...on sale. The family would like to express our thanks to the Nova Scotia Cancer Centre, Palliative Care team, and the VON. Based on her wishes, there will be no visitation or funeral. Her family will hold a celebration of life at a later date.