Vivian Marie Roberts

Vivian Marie Roberts (née Lacelle) passed away peacefully on October 2, 2025 at the Halifax Infirmary in her 83rd year. She is survived by her loving husband of 58 years, Denis, and by daughters Sarah (Rick Beals) of Wolfville and Lisa (Andrew Leitao) of Halifax and grandchildren Gabrielle and Ben Leitao. She is also survived by her siblings Yvonne (Bill Nichol), Lucy Jangula and Roger, Saskatchewan; Rosaire, Alberta; and Gabrielle, Irene (Norman Trebick) and Claire, British Columbia, and by many nieces, nephews, members of the Roberts’ family, and friends. She was predeceased by her parents Raymond and Yvette Lacelle, Cadillac, Saskatchewan; her brother Jean Louis and his wife Jocelyne, Québec; and brother-in-law Stan Jangula, Saskatchewan.

Vivian was born into a francophone, Catholic family that farmed outside Cadillac, Saskatchewan, forty miles (64.5 km) south of Swift Current. Her education began at age six, when she joined her older siblings at a boarding school where the language of instruction was English. The next year, her family moved into town and she completed high school in Cadillac, graduating in a class of six students. After teachers college in Regina, she decided she would teach a year in every province across Canada. She partly succeeded. Vivian taught a year in each of Saskatchewan, Whitehorse, Yukon, Alberta, and Ontario as well as two years in Newfoundland and Labrador, and four years in Nova Scotia. When her daughters got a little older she returned to substitute teaching in French Immersion at C. C. Loughlin school in Corner Brook NL. Vivian was born to teach.

Vivian met Denis in Labrador City in 1964; he was invited to a party at the apartment she shared with two other teachers and she made him a grilled cheese sandwich at the end of the evening. They married in 1966 while Denis was at Dalhousie Law School. In 1969, they moved to Ottawa, then relocated to Corner Brook, NL, in November 1975 and were there for the next 23 years. It was where their girls grew up.

Vivian dearly loved Corner Brook and was not immediately happy about their move to St. John’s in 1999. She grew to like St.John’s, however, and kept active, as she had been in Corner Brook. She played golf, cross-country skied (she missed downhill skiing at Marble Mountain), played and taught bridge and volunteered at various locations. She and Denis hiked much of the East Coast Trail and explored the entire Avalon Peninsula. Vivian loved being outdoors. They also travelled extensively, with many trips to Europe in particular. In recent times with failing health curtailing travel, one of Vivian’s favourite programs was Rick Steves’ Europe on PBS.

When Denis retired, Vivian and Denis moved to Halifax, where they had begun their married life, to be closer to their daughters and grandchildren. They became very involved with Gabrielle and Ben, then only three and one. In time, Gabrielle and Ben attended school at Beaubassin, literally across the street from their apartment. Many enjoyable after school hours were spent together and it was likewise when Gabrielle and Ben moved to École Mer et Monde in the south end of Halifax as, by happenstance, Vivian and Denis had recently moved to an apartment on South Park Street within walking distance. Gabrielle, now 17 in Grade 12 and Ben, 15, in Grade 10, both at Citadel High School, are two wonderful young people. It was Vivian’s great pleasure to be part of their growing up.

A Celebration of Vivian’s life and placement of her ashes in the Columbarium at Holy Cross Cemetery, Halifax, will take place at a later date.