Obituary of Ana Louise Watts

With great sadness and heavy hearts the Watts and Dearborn families of Fredericton, Hampton, Saint John, and Halifax announce the death of Ana Watts on June 13. She survived cancer surgery in 2022 but the cancer remained and eventually became too much to overcome.

Ana is survived by her husband David, her sisters Barbara and Cynthia Dearborn, by Patti Pearce, and Mike Whipple, and sisters-in-law, Kitara Dearborn, and Carol (Watts) Murdock and her husband Gary. Ana is also survived by her three daughters, Mollie (Colin Fowlie), Emily (Patrick McKinney), and Rebekah (Jeremy Finnie), and by many grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and several cousins.  Ana was predeceased by her parents, Fred and Dorothy (Ryder) Dearborn, and her brother Skip (Charles) Dearborn. She was also predeceased by her uncle Barry Ryder, and her aunt Patricia (Ryder) McLeod and husband Gordon (Bud) McLeod.

Ana had a successful and varied career as a writer, editor, and journalist, and was much respected and admired in her profession. She began her work life leading a daycare in Saint John. Her first dream was to become a large animal vet.

Ana first began as a writer for radio ads at CFBC in Saint John, then later at CIHI in Fredericton. In between she was a reporter and editor for the Saint John Citizen and the Kings County Record in Sussex. Her PR achievements included writing speeches for former premier Frank McKenna. The majority of Ana’s life was spent as the Communications Officer for the Anglican Diocese of Fredericton and the editor of its newspaper. She also wrote for Saltscapes and various trade magazines and other publications, and was an active member of the Professional Writers Association of Canada. She was also an author, and co-author with her mother Dorothy.

Ana was active in outside interests which included a well-established book club and two local writing groups. She was also the social convenor for her home community.

An afternoon of visitation will happen on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, from 2:00-5:00pm at McAdam’s Funeral Home on York St. in Fredericton. Ana’s funeral will be held on Thursday, June 20, 2024, at 2:00pm at the Christ Church (Parish) Church on Westmorland St. in Fredericton, where she had been a founding member of the parish’s Mothers’ Union. For those who are unable to attend in person, a recording of the service is available HERE. A reception will take place in the church hall following the service. For those who wish, memorial donations may be made to the Red Cross, the Canadian Cancer Society, or a charity of the donor's choice.