Vincent Colton passed away on October 10, 2026, in Bathurst, NB, surrounded by his family.
Vince grew up on the family farm in Johnville, NB, the second youngest of eight children, in a happy home filled with music, faith, and extended family. He attended St. Thomas in Miramichi for high school and university, where he played football and basketball and made lifelong friends.
Vince earned his teaching degree at UNB and moved to Bathurst to teach math at LeBlanc High and then Bathurst High School, where he later became head of the Math Department. He always had a joke ready for the staff at lunch, one he’d retell at home after supper over tea with bread and molasses.
He loved to sing and tell stories. He was a member of church and community choirs and knew nearly every Irish song. As president of the Bathurst Chapter of the Irish Cultural Society, he helped bring the Celtic Cross to the Bathurst Causeway.
Dad coached our baseball and hockey teams, kept up the Parkwood outdoor rink for years, and played badminton and volleyball well into retirement. He was a skilled woodworker, cut his own firewood, and tended a large garden at the DeGrace homestead in St. Anne. Summers meant visits to family in Johnville and Halifax and trips to see cousins in Montreal or Toronto.
Family was always at the heart of Dad’s life. Together, he and Marvel created a home filled with love and the happy busyness of raising four active children. Their home on Hay Crescent was a place where family and friends gathered, and Dad took great pleasure in having everyone together, especially when the house was full of children and grandchildren. Whether sharing a meal, enjoying a laugh, or joining in a sing-along around the piano, these simple moments became our most treasured memories.
He is survived by his children Kevin (Kristine), Calgary, AB; Paul (Michelle), Antigonish, NS; Krista Dickie (Mike), Quispamsis, NB; and Lisa (Mark), Antigonish, NS; his brothers Brendan (Dorine) and Tony (Georgina); and his sisters-in-law Bernie Drover and Phyllis DeGrace. He will be deeply missed by his grandchildren Samuel, Matthew, Jacob, Ryan, Shaelin, Haley, Raia, Katherine, Adam, and Luke, as well as many nieces, nephews, and friends.
He was predeceased by Marvel, his loving wife of 59 years; his parents, Joseph and Loretta (Kilfoil); his sisters Margaret and Molly (Pickard); his brothers Patrick, Arnold, and Edmond; his nieces Clara, Sharon, Monique, and Natalie; and his nephew Robert.
Visitation will be held at Elhatton’s Funeral Home, 187 St. George Street, Bathurst, on Wednesday, October 14, from 2–4 p.m. and 6–8 p.m. The Funeral Mass will be at Holy Family Parish, 430 St. Peter Avenue, Bathurst, on Thursday, October 15, at 10 a.m.
The family thanks Carm Hachey and the staff of the Robert and Helen Knowles Memorial Home for helping Vince live a happy, rewarding life to the end.
In memory of Vincent, donations may be made to your favourite charity or cause. Arrangements are in the care of Elhatton’s Funeral Home, Bathurst (www.elhatton.com).
