Roxanne Mary Tremblett
“Today I’m gonna try and change the world, Not for me, but for those I’ll leave behind, I’ve made my resolution, Change it one day at a time, Today I’m gonna try and change the world”- Johnny Reid
It is with broken hearts that we announce the passing of Roxanne Tremblett, 38, of Sydney Mines. Roxanne was the youngest child of Annie Mae and the late Bernard Leroy (Darkie) Tremblett, and was a gift to all who knew her. As a person living with cerebral palsy, she couldn’t have been born into a better family. Roxanne was blessed with an angel for a mother who ensured that she enjoyed every single moment and who devoted her life and every ounce of her love to Roxanne. They were inseparable. Annie Mae literally carried Roxanne through their journey together. She was her caregiver, her partner in crime and her very best friend.
Because of Annie Mae’s tenacity and determination, Roxanne was locally one of the first people with a disability to enter the mainstream classroom and had the first computer at St. Joseph School. Her love for computers began then and never faded. She was very well known for her Facebook posts and had friends from all over the country.
Throughout her life, Roxanne enjoyed an endless number of activities and, more importantly, the friends and relationships from each.
She had a big heart for a good reason; she had so many special people to share it with.
Roxy loved bingo and her bingo family, and her extra special friends Courtney, Lynda, Raylene, Marty and Florence, and played at every bingo hall from Sydney Mines to Membertou. She enjoyed chasing horses at the race track, specifically Pink and Blue, and was all smiles in the winner’s circle.
Our hearts are filled with gratitude for our community, who campaigned to get a wheelchair accessible van through the Rolling for Roxie campaign. This allowed Roxanne and Annie Mae to enjoy the simple things in life that we often take for granted. To her cardiologist, Dr. Paul MacDonald and the hospital staff, including the nurses on 4 West, who gave Roxanne impeccable care over the years, we thank you. Roxanne’s condition caused her to have an enlarged heart, and thanks to the intelligence and skill of Dr. Catherine Kells and the cardiology team at the QEII Health Sciences Center, Rox had surgery at 19 years of age that added twenty years to her life.
Roxanne is survived by her mother, Annie Mae; her brother, Ron (Tracey), and her sisters, Shryl Dodington (Matt) and Tanya (Frank). She is also survived by nieces and nephews, whom she was very proud of, Cole (Molly), Mathew, Michael, Lucas, Nicholas, Stevi Paige, Nate and Jared, and also special sister, Michelle Hatcher Marsh. She will be greatly missed by her aunts, uncles and cousins, who cherished her.
Roxanne was predeceased by her father, Bernard Leroy; her brother, Bernard William; sister, Brenda Lee in infancy; maternal grandparents, William and Bertha (LeBlanc) Forrest, and paternal grandparents, Sidney and Ella Mae (LeBlanc) Tremblett.
It’s no secret that the love of Roxanne’s life was Johnny Reid. He made her feel so special. On any given day, Roxanne had Johnny Reid blaring from the speakers. At a concert at C200, Johnny came off the stage and serenaded Roxanne. He also sent her an autographed picture letting her know that he was coming back to Cape Breton to perform again. Roxy had front row seats to Johnny Reid’s upcoming concert and we know that she’ll be there singing right along.
Darlin’, I love you more than ever, I wish we were together, Darlin’ mine.
There will be no visitation. A Funeral Mass to celebrate her life will be held Thursday, January 18, 2018, at 2 p.m. in Holy Family Church, with Fr. James Oliver officiating. The reception will take place in the parish hall, after the service.
In Lieu of flowers, donations in Roxanne’s memory may be made to the IWK Children’s Hospital or Children’s Wish Foundation.
Words of comfort may be forwarded to her family at www.jmjobesfuneralhome.com.
