Celina Burke

With tears in our eyes, but peace in our hearts we celebrate your amazing life of 102 years. Born in Lourdes, Newfoundland, in January of 1919, Celina was the third child of twelve, born to Arthur and Anastasia (Nancy) Au Coin.

She grew up in a simpler time, before TV, before computers and cell phones; a time when you shared your bedroom with numerous siblings and your family sat down together for dinner every night. She experienced the Great Depression and lost family members to the devastation of World War 2. She rode the Ferris Wheel and nibbled on cotton candy at the World Fair. She “borrowed” a boat in the middle of January and ended up stuck on an ice flow and required rescuing. She chased horses from the house and baked bread with her mom, and ate more raspberries than she picked for pies and jams. She left home at 16 to help care for grandparents and took a nanny position to earn a little extra money. So many pieces to a life that she lived before any of us were even a thought.

Mom met dad on a blind date, fell in love and then married that coal miner and started a family of her own. She was a woman of strong faith who was always saying a rosary for somebody, and whose prayers always seemed to be heard. If her fingers weren’t flying over the rosary beads, then they were busy with knitting needles and crochet hooks. She loved making things for the people she cared about – afghans, slippers, mittens, scarves and dusters … you knew you were held in high regard if she graced you with something she poured her heart into.

Never one to hold her tongue, she was quick to be saucy, eager to laugh and could hand out one of those ‘mom/nan’ looks that put you in your place. She lived a life of love and shared it with all who crossed her path. There was always room at the table and the door was always open. Our family grew exponentially as everyone who came through the door quickly and lovingly called her Nan.

She was a daughter, a sister, a friend, an aunt, a wife, a mom, a nan, a great nan and even a great, great nan. She didn’t have a degree to put in a frame and didn’t leave behind an estate that would be honoured in her name. Instead she gave everything she had to her family and instilled in us the highest degree of a moral compass and the deepest degree of love of family. Her name and her very being is honoured in every memory each of us have…every picture…every story…every cup of tea.

A blessing to her family, she leaves behind daughters Elaine (Brian deceased) Bradley and Lorraine Wagner; grandchildren Steve (Luanne) Tomlin, Ray (Carla) Tomlin, Ty (Andrea) Wagner, Rachel Wagner (Nathan); great grandchildren Makayla, Landon, Cody, Justin, Josh (Samantha), Veronica, James and Colin and great, great grandchildren Gage, Owen, Khol, Mylo, Reese, Kane and Callie; special niece Winnie and countless extended ‘adopted’ family members.

Sincere heartfelt thanks go to our caregiver family at St Vincent’s 5th floor, where mom made her home for the past 4 years. She settled in so much quicker and easier than we ever thought she would, and that’s because of all of you. Thank you for making her part of your family.

Funeral service Tuesday August 31, 2021 at 2:00pm at JA Snow Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, donations in mom’s memory may be made to St Vincent’s Nursing Home, Halifax.

Stubborn to a fault, she was feisty and saucy and just the way we all loved her, right to the end. Forever the matriarch, a lady above all others.

Until we meet again, xo