WATSON, OWEN A.
SAVOY – Owen “Doc” Watson, who died Friday, May 11, 2012, at Provena Covenant Medical Center in Urbana, was born May 5, 1922, in Forrest City, Mo. His parents were Jack and Margaret Elizabeth Watson. He was the oldest of seven children born into his family.
In 1930 the Watson family moved to Biggs, Calif., where Doc attended grammar and Biggs High School. While in high school he participated in F.F.A., boxing, track, basketball, football and tennis. During his teen years he worked in the rice fields, helped farmers bring in their crops and delivered milk for a dairy until he joined the service.
Doc enlisted in the U.S. Marines in the Carlson Second Marine Battalion on Jan. 6, 1942, serving in the Pacific until January 1946. He is a recipient of the Purple Heart.
Doc maintained a pilot’s license since 1946, has owned five planes and flown a variety of others. He has been an avid golfer for 50 years, having memberships in Rolling Green Golf Club in Sarasota, Fla., and Tri-City Golf Club in Villa Grove.
Doc went into business as a contractor in concrete and masonry in 1951. He moved to Champaign and continued in masonry with Lynne Myer until 1953 and then become a concrete contractor in Champaign-Urbana until 1961.
In 1955 he married Irma Rosemond Henson. He had two step-children from his marriage, Wally Watson and Christine Pond. He then moved to Bradenton, Fla., and went into business with his son-in-law, Charles E. Dodge, partner in Watson & Dodge Concrete.
Rosemond passed in 1991.
On November 11, 1993, he married Edna Henson of Champaign and became stepfather to three children, step-grandfather to eight, and step-great-grandfather to three. Edna passed in 2011.
He was preceded in death by his mother, father, a brother, a sister and three grandchildren.
Survivors include daughter Christine (Charles) Dodge, son Wally (Nancy) Watson, step-daughter Tari (Sam) Bricker, step-sons Tom and Rich (Susie) Henson, 11 grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren. He also leaves sisters Dorothy Scaggs of Stockton, Calif., Helen Trafton and Joan Powell of Chico, Calif., and brothers Jack and Richard Watson of Mills Creek, N.C.
Mr. Watson was a member of the National Association of Home Builders, American Legion, Marine Corps League, Rolling Green Golf Club and the Sarasota Flying Club (S.R.Q.).
Donations may be made to the Edna Henson/Owen Watson Scholarship Fund.
A private family memorial service will be held at a later date.
Joines-Appleby Funeral Home of Newman is in charge of arrangements.