Obituary of Isabelle Jean Watson

Isabelle Jean Watson passed away peacefully at the age of 97 on July 1, 2024 at Oakwood Terrace in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Isabelle was the daughter of George and Violet Carter, and was born October 28, 1926 in Restigouche County, New Brunswick. Isabelle was one of nine children and was raised in a small 3 bedroom farmhouse in Salisbury, New Brunswick. Isabelle didn’t often talk of her childhood but there was one specific memory she loved to share - the one time she got a pound of butter just for herself for Christmas. Butter was the love of her life. In the spring of 1956, she met the second love of her life, Jack Edgar Watson. Isabelle met Jack at a ‘Ladies Choice’ dance in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Isabelle chose Jack - they spent that summer in a whirlwind romance which ended with Jack proposing to Isabelle in the late summer and their subsequent marriage in September that same year. Isabelle and Jack had two children, Steve and Stacey. As Jack was often away at sea, Isabelle was responsible for holding down the fort at home. Both her and Steve loved fishing and she would take him fishing on the weekends when Jack was away, helping to foster his love of the outdoors. Isabelle also shared a love of bingo with Stacey, who still fondly remembers spending evenings at the bingo hall with her mom. Isabelle supported both her children in their many endeavours and continued to support them through adulthood; she was an enthusiastic cheerleader in every aspect of her children and grandchildren’s lives. Later in life, Isabelle traveled around the world with her loving husband Jack. From cruises to bus tours to resorts, Isabelle and Jack toured North America, South America, Europe and the Caribbean, making sure to always bring back little gifts and souvenirs for their grandchildren. Isabelle loved her grandchildren more than anything - she would always make sure to have their favourite homemade treats on hand when they came to visit (sausage rolls for Ted, cheese pastries for Adrianne and chocolate chip cookies for Bernadette). And although she loved them dearly, when playing croquet, she would not hesitate to send their balls careening through the rough grass with a definitive thwack during a ‘friendly’ game. Besides croquet, Isabelle had a number of hobbies throughout her life - she loved knitting beautiful sweaters, mittens, scarves and hats for her children and her grandchildren. Isabelle was also a huge fan of television - she loved watching Canadian golfers and tennis players, enjoyed game shows (both new and old) and never missed an episode of ‘Another World’. Over decades she honed her baking craft and whipped up dozens of cookies for her grandchildren whenever they would visit, sending them home with ziploc bags bursting to the seams with ginger sparklers. One of her more unique hobbies was her proclivity towards playing video games - Isabelle was a ‘gamer’ when very few others of her demographic were. From the world of Kings Quest in 1984 to the monstrous shores of Legend of Grimrock II in 2014, Isabelle puzzled, fought and adventured her way into digital glory for over 30 years. Finally, she never missed a Sunday crossword or cryptoquip and would compulsively cut out trivia questions from newspapers to share with her family at family dinners as the self-appointed quiz master. In closing, Isabelle’s family was the most important part of her life, and she was a wonderful mother and grandmother to all. Isabelle is survived by her children and their partners Steven (Wileen) and Stacey (John) as well as her beloved grandchildren and their partners Ted (Chelsea), Adrianne (Mo) and Bernadette (Nick) and a growing number of great grandchildren. She is also survived by her two siblings, Fred and Thelma. Isabelle will join her husband and be interred at the Glades United Baptist Church Cemetery in the Glades, NB at a later date. Special thanks to all the staff at the Berkeley Dartmouth and Oakwood Terrace, and an extra special thanks to the staff in Unit D.