Newfoundlanders killed in crash in Nova Scotia were longtime friends, co-workers

A pair of longtime friends and former colleagues — both with connections to central Newfoundland and southwestern Ontario — were killed Sunday while driving to visit their families in Kitchener for Christmas.

Andy Fillier, 61, and Jim Wheeler, 69, were the victims in a two-vehicle collision Sunday in Nova Scotia's Pictou County. According to relatives, they had been driving together from Newfoundland to Ontario to visit their families over the holidays.

"He was on his way up to spend Christmas with us all, with his daughters and his sisters and brother, and nieces and nephews," said Tara Lee, Andy Fillier's sister.

Both Fillier and Wheeler had children living in Kitchener. They both spent decades working at the B.F. Goodrich plant in that community. Lee said they had been longtime friends.

Fillier moved back to Buchans, his hometown, in Febuary. He had bought a home in the community, and had planned to retire there with his wife, Maureen — the "love of his life," said Maureen.

They never got the retirement they dreamed of; Maureen died this past January. She was 59.

"They dated in high school, and went separate ways and lived a lifetime apart, and about 10 years ago they reunited," Lee said. "There was always something for her. They just went different paths for about 30 years."

Lee said her brother was struggling with the death of his wife, who died suddenly, but was slowly improving and enjoying life again.

"He was lost. Trying to find his way back to some joy in life. Him and Maureen, he played guitar and she sang. He stopped playing his guitar. But he was bringing his guitar with him [to Kitchener]. He was learning a new song to play for us, so he was going to play his guitar again," Lee said, while fighting back tears.

"Unfortunately his guitar got smacked up in the truck."

Lee said it would have been "extremely special" to her him play his guitar again.

"He would be healing," she said.

Fillier's mother died in November.

Fillier travelled with the cremated remains of his wife on the trip. Lee says he "always took her with him when he travelled."

Both will now be buried in Buchans in the summer.

"He was a very kind, loving dad. He was a wonderful big brother. And a wonderful little brother to our oldest sister. A great son. He will be so missed," she said.

"Oh, and the best uncle. I'm getting told the best uncle," she added.

According to his older brother, Jerome Wheeler, Jim Wheeler had moved to Millertown from Kitchener about eight years ago, prompted by the closure of the B.F. Goodrich plant in Kitchener.

He moved to that community to be closer to his sister, Eileen.

"We was pretty close, me and Jim. Anything I wanted done, I just had to ask him," Jerome Wheeler said. "Last three or four years, now, I'm not so good myself, so he'd do a lot of work for me."

Jerome and Jim were born and raised in Summerford.

"He was always, like, more or less chasing me around when we was small," Jerome remembered — though added he was never annoyed by his younger brother.

Jerome said he became closer with his brother over the past three or four years, and Jim would often visit him for dinner on fishing trips through Summerford.

"He was a very kind feller, and I think he spent a lot of time helping people up in Millertown."

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