‘Full of life, charismatic and resilient’: Fort St. John’s beloved holiday ‘Fudge Lady’ passes away

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The city’s beloved ‘Fudge Lady’ has passed away after a battle with cancer. 

Carol Ann Watkins, well-known in the community for selling fudge during the holidays for three decades, was born on April 22nd, 1949 in Vancouver. 

She moved to Hythe in the 1970s and then to Grand Prairie in 1993 when, around this time, she met her husband Bill Warren Watkins. 

Moving north from a metropolis like Vancouver, Carol lived off-grid and learned how to do everything from scratch, including growing food and canning it. 

Carol set up shop every Christmas for about the past 30 years in Fort St. John at Totem Mall, selling her fudge and other confectioneries. 

Cassandra Jones, Watkins’ daughter, described her as extraordinary, resilient, creative, passionate, fiercely loyal and hard working. 

Jones told Energeticcity.ca: “She had a very hard life from the moment she was born until the moment she died, there was a lot of suffering in her life.

“But she never complained. She was always grateful for the life she had and always found beauty and magic everywhere.” 

Watkins never let all the hard things destroy her, Jones said: “The cancer that she got sick with is called acute myeloid leukemia, it’s so incredibly aggressive and it develops over days [or] a week, so it hits you like a freight train. 

“My mom fought through that and brought herself into full remission. She worked every single day to build her body back up.” 

Carol started doing laps in her house, starting from one a day to doing 100 laps in the winter. 

Jones added: “[She] started doing crossword puzzles and things just to keep her brain active.

“She fought for every single day and she managed to regain enough strength to actually go back to work, doing what she loves, [which is] making fudge [and] chocolate.” 

Unfortunately, the cancer relapsed and less than two weeks later, Carol died. 

During her career, Carol had been invited by the Chinese government to teach and share growing techniques. 

Jones said: “She was the brains behind building an agricultural business. 

“They experimented with growing things in the north that we didn’t even know we could grow here. 

“So lots of different varieties of fruit, berries, trees, shrubs and flowers.”

Jones told Energeticcity.ca Carol hosted different community events as well.

About her mom’s fudge, Jones said: “Her fudge is literally the best, her fudge is crack.

“I’ve tried fudge all over the world and nobody’s fudge compared to hers.

“She died with her recipe, so we will never have that fudge again.” 

Jones shared: “One of the biggest memories I have of her [is] always supporting and never ever silencing me ever. And now I use my voice every single day and I write every day.” 

Carol died on December 9th, 2025 at 5.10 p.m. at 76 years old. She is survived by her husband Bill, seven children, 15 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. 

Bill said: “There are so many things that all I can say is, everything, Carol  meant everything to me.” 

Carol’s husband Bill shared a post on a Facebook group informing the community about her death. 

Many Facebook users reacted to her passing. 

One user said: “We miss you and Carol at the mall so much Bill!! Christmas isn’t the same without you two!”

Another user commenting on Carol’s fudge said: “I purchased her fudge for many years to pass around to family and friends. It brought many smiles to everyone who tasted some.

“So very sorry for your loss. Heaven will be a better place when she makes her fudge up there. May she rest in peace.”

A ‘celebration of life’ for Carol is set to be held in the spring, but a date is still to be confirmed.