Valerie Anne Angela Cormier

On May 30th, 2021 our hearts have been forever broken with the sudden passing of a devoted grandmother, mother, and wife, Valerie Cormier. Our mom was born in Lakeside, Halifax in 1951 to Margaret (Doyle) and Gordon Nicholson. A graduate of the Maritime Secretarial School, she started her career at Standard Brand and then proudly worked at the Grace Maternity as a Secretary and Lab Technician. It was during this time that our parents met at the Jubilee Boat Club dance. Dad was dressed in his 70’s Sunday best and mom tried to impress him with her infamous water-skiing story. It must have worked because in 1975 they were married and spent the last 46 years in blissful matrimony.

After moving to Westmount, she worked for Father Morley at Holy Rosary Parish, while raising three wonderful children. She took great pride creating a warm and beautiful home for her family. She loved seeing hummingbirds in her garden, skating, bowling, and long Sunday drives in her yellow bug Daisie. She was an avid film and TV buff, especially Coronation Street, and enjoyed a good hot fudge sundae with peanuts, so much so she was affectionately called the sundae lady by the neighborhood kids. Summers were spent traveling to local campsites while listening to Dolly Parton and Kenny Rodgers, spending time on the beach or around the campfire with family. Mom was also an active member of the community serving as a Brownie and Scouts Leader, Sunday School teacher, and volunteer at Loaves and Fishes. Once the kids were grown, mom began working in retail, first at Woolco and then at Crowell’s. She loved working in retail, her outgoing personality made her great at engaging with customers, and she developed many close friendships with her co-workers. Mr. Hickey described her as an honest, diligent, and excellent sales clerk. Later, our parents bought their dream home in Johnstown overlooking the Bras D’Or Lake where we’ve had countless family gatherings over the years.

As dedicated as she was to being a great mom, her grandkids were her sunshine. She loved her five amazing grandkids immensely and was incredibly proud of them. Mom was kind, loving and generous with her grandkids, never letting them go without and spoiling them every chance she got. She was such a protective nanny and would say, “no child will go missing on my watch!”

Mom was a kind soul who only wanted the best for her friends and family. Knowing her meant never being without knitted dishcloths, a person to talk to, or seeing her wiggling her pen. It was a blessing to have Mom in our lives and for us to say we will miss her cannot encompass the enormous loss that our family feels.

Mom leaves behind her loving husband Roger Cormier; her children Tara (Jim), Chantelle (Donald), and Adam; her grandchildren Kayla (Evan), Madisyn, Payton, Riley, and Chelsey. Cujo, her dog, will certainly miss greeting her in the morning. She will also be missed by her siblings Joan Marsh, Larry (Mary) Nicholson, Marilynn Singer, and Sandra (Greg) Milton along with many nieces, nephews, godchildren, and the Cormier extended family. She was predeceased by her parents Margaret and Gordon Nicholson; brother-in-law Con Marsh; and niece Dana Marsh.

We are grateful for the compassion and professionalism of the paramedics and the medical staff in the Emergency Department of the Cape Breton Regional Hospital who tried their best to save our mom.

There will be no visitation or service at this time. We will have a celebration of her life when covid restrictions allow.

Our mom would give anything she had to help someone in need so If you would like to honour Valerie’s memory, in lieu of flowers, you may do so by donating to the Children’s Wish Foundation or donating/volunteering at your local food bank. Online condolences can be left for the family at twcurry.com.