It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Mandy Wood, 45 on December 25, 2025. She was determined to make her favorite holiday, to celebrate with her family and she did.

Born on May 29,1980 Mandy grew up in Walton, Nova Scotia and while she may have made her home with Brett and their children in Hilden. Walton was always referred to as going ‘down home’. Whether it was bass fishing on the shores of the Bay of Fundy to watching the sunset behind her beloved Walton Lighthouse. She always said the colors reflected off the mudflats at sunset reminded her of Neapolitan ice cream and it was always a place that brought her great peace.

She left Walton to go to college at Dalhousie University in Halifax for a year before pursuing her RTA at NSCC Kingstec in Kentville. Even before graduation she was hired by what is now Cat Country 99.5. She started and finished her radio career 24 years later at the same radio studio.

For many, Mandy was known to be the cheery woman on the radio. She was the one who informed families of snow days, who gave you an overview of the weather while getting ready to start your day or the woman who told you the news highlights of the day on their way to work.

If she brought a smile to your face or a heartfelt chuckle it was due in large part to her work husband Rod. Unlike their Cat Country morning show they shared for 17 years - their connection was not a show. They lovingly referred to her as Rod’s work wife and for good reason. They supported, cared and loved each other more than just colleagues.

Her listeners felt like they knew Mandy because she shared so much of herself with her listeners. She could turn the most mundane story about something that happened in her day into the most hilarious story that left your sides hurting from laughing so hard.

She was a staunch advocate for mental health having publicly raised awareness for others in the telling of her own experience with dealing with it.

Her goal in choosing to use her voice to talk about the hard issues was always driven by her want to help others.

So, during her last personal battle of dealing with a stage 4 diagnosis of vulvar cancer she openly updated her listeners on her cancer journey to raise awareness for the rare cancer in hopes of helping other women not face the same outcome as she did. She told her family in doing so ‘she needed to make some lemonade out of the horrible lemons she got handed in Life.’ That right there shows you the type of person Mandy was.

Her loved ones want to continue to support Mandy’s desire to raise awareness, but she was so much more than her cancer diagnosis.

She was the person whose smile lit up a room. She was the one who would give you the shirt of her back if it would help you. She was the one who checked in to see how you were doing amidst all her health crisis. She was often the quiet person (believe it or not) in the room that you just gravitated to and then would get lost for hours in story telling.

But short of her family, she loved nothing more in Life than music. All genres. All artists. When she and her siblings were growing up, she would pick a random album, genre or artist to explore with them. She called it “Music appreciation day”.

To the world, she was Mandy from the Rod and Mandy show but to her mother Marlene - she was her first born. To her siblings Cheryl, Steph and Ryan - she was the best big sister they could have asked for. To Serenity, Sierra, Payson and Maddy - she was the aunt who always loved them and kept their family traditions alive.

To Pat and Cliff - she was the daughter they never had.

And while the world may have called them friends to Mandy - Brenda and Leanne were family.

To Setzer and Phantom, she was their fur momma.

To Brett, she was his everything as he was hers.

And to Adam and Olivia, she will always be their Mommy.

Mandy is survived by her husband Brett Wood, and children Adam and Olivia, Hilden. Her mother Marlene Smith (Mark Cohoon), Walton. Her siblings Cheryl (Halifax), Steph (Walton) and Ryan (Tara) Walton. As well as her beloved nieces and nephew, Serenity, Sierra, Payson and Maddy. Her aunt Shelley Morris (Walton) and Uncle Andrew Smith (Walton). As well as her parents in law Pat and Cliff Wood (Gormanville).

She was pre- deceased by her maternal grandmother Evelyn (Green) Smith

and maternal grandfather Burpee Smith.

The family have so many people to thank that helped make Mandy’s journey a little easier.

Thank you to the VON team that took care of Mandy while she was at home. To the Palliative Care team of doctors and nurses at Colchester East Hants Center- you took care of Mandy’s family with as much compassion as you did her. You will never know how much that meant to us. And to everyone who supported Mandy and the family during this difficult time with messages, cards, gifts, donations and most recently sharing your Christmas lights for her to enjoy. Know that she saw every single one and it brought her great comfort.

In keeping with Mandy’s wishes donations can be made to the Colchester East - Hants Hospice Society, so they can continue to do their all-important work.

Cremation has taken place; a celebration of Life for Mandy will take place at a later date.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the J. Wilson Allen funeral home Hwy 215, Summerville, phone 1-902-633-2431 or please visit our web site at allenfh.ca to sign the guest book or leave a private condolence.