Sarkis Collision Center Celebrates 50th Anniversary
Keeping His Dream Alive: Family, Faith, and Fixing Cars
Sarkis Collision Center Celebrates 50th Anniversary
Rose May and Nazih Sarkis
When Nazih and Rose-May Sarkis opened a small body shop on Dalton Avenue in 1976, they weren’t just launching a business — they were laying the foundation for a family legacy.
Fifty years later, Sarkis Collision Center stands as a testament to that legacy — a trusted, family-run business known for integrity, craftsmanship, and unwavering customer care. From a modest 2,400-square-foot shop to a beautifully renovated 12,000-square-foot facility, the shop’s journey is one of resilience, love, and community.
Nazih Sarkis came to Canada from war-torn Lebanon in the early 1970s, bringing with him a passion for repairing vehicles — a trade he began in 1974. While working in Toronto, Ontario, he met Rose-May, a Lagaceville native. “After just a few dates, I knew this was no ‘hook and release,’” she laughs. “You know the song — and what a trip!”
The couple planned to travel and work across Canada, but a long road trip home to New Brunswick changed everything. “When we got to Montreal, Nazih thought we were almost there. By the time we reached Bathurst, he was ready to turn back,” Rose-May recalls. “I fibbed and told him it wasn’t much farther. In the end, he couldn’t imagine taking me away from my family — and decided to stay.”
Nazih started working at Flett Motors, where he earned his certification in August, 1974. By 1975, he was ready to strike out on his own. “He always wanted to work for himself,” says Rose-May. She helped in the early days by cleaning cars and handling various duties while raising their four children: Allain, Nada, Adam and Georges.
From the time they were just five or six years old, Allain and Adam were drawn to the shop, eager to learn and be part of their father’s world. Today, as co-owners of Sarkis Collision Center, they carry forward his passion and dedication to quality with pride. “They each inherited their father’s deep love for cars and a true commitment to making them shine,” says their mother. Adam’s wife Stephanie, their son Nazih, and brother Georges are also part of the team. It’s a true family business, and one their father would be deeply proud of.
In 1995, Nazih passed away at just 46 years old. Rose-May, then a mother of four teenagers, took over the business. “You just take it one day at a time,” she says. “Giving up was never an option.” Her perseverance, grounded in faith and family, helped the business grow despite hardships — including a devastating fire in 1998.
After the fire destroyed the original shop, a family friend, David Goodfellow, generously loaned them his building so they could keep operating. “We will always be grateful to him,” says Rose-May.
Today, Rose-May is a proud grandmother of five: Adam’s children Nazih (named in honor of his grandfather), and twins Ally and Lyla, and Nada’s son Malik and daughter Ellie Rose.
The family’s continued dedication was recently recognized when Sarkis Collision Center received the 2024 Maritime Performance Group Leadership & Excellence Award — voted by industry peers for outstanding leadership and exceptional performance in the collision repair industry.
“Since the passing of my late husband, Nazih, his vision continues to inspire everything we do,” says Rose-May. “As I embark on this next chapter with my family, we remain dedicated to honoring his legacy — always focusing on quality, integrity, and the exceptional service our customers expect.”
As Rose-May puts it best:
“You meet everybody here… by accident.”