Beryl Marie Watka

Born and raised in Upper Rawdon, Nova Scotia, Canada, Beryl's early life was rooted in the rhythm of farm life and the close-knit community built around a one-room schoolhouse, where she studied until the 11th grade. She completed her high school education in Truro, Nova Scotia, before following her passion for caregiving at the Victoria General Hospital School of Nursing in Halifax.

Beryl began her nursing career, eventually coming to McLean Hospital in Massachusetts for her psychiatry rotation, which is where her life was changed forever. While spending a summer on the Cape with cousins, she met the love of her life, Oliver “Ollie” Watka, a Bourne policeman who came to her rescue to change a flat tire on her car. Their romance was swift and certain; they were married just four months later in Nova Scotia.

Beryl dedicated her professional life to serving others, first as a geriatric nurse and later finding her true calling as the beloved School Nurse at both Hoxie and Peebles Elementary Schools. Over the years, she cared for hundreds of children, offering both medical aid and a warm, comforting smile.

A woman of boundless love and curiosity, Beryl had many passions. She was an avid reader, devouring hundreds of books which she cataloged throughout her life, and a talented cook—a skill she happily credited her husband with teaching her. She and Ollie traveled all over the world, sharing her infectious smile with everyone they met.

Beryl is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Oliver Watka. She leaves behind a cherished legacy through her children: Gregory Watka and his wife Jeannette of Sagamore Beach, Alan Watka and his wife Jennifer of North Attleboro, and Lori Fontaine and her husband Bill of Charlton. She was a devoted Mimi to eight grandchildren and to nine great-grandchildren who brought constant joy to her life.

The family welcomes friends to wear comfortable, colorful clothing to Nickerson-Bourne Funeral Home (40 MacArthur Boulevard, Bourne) on Wednesday, November 26th for visiting hours from 9:30-11:30am followed by a short service. Burial will follow at Massachusetts National Cemetery at 12:30pm.

In Lieu of Flowers: The family kindly requests that donations be made in Beryl's memory to two organizations she held dear: Breakthrough T1D (https://www.breakthrought1d.org/) or Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network (dsdiagnosisnetwork.org)