Donald C. Watson

Donald C. Watson – A deeply devoted family man with a passion for fishing.

A Memorial Service will be held at 1:30 P.M. Saturday, September 24, 2016 at Biggers Funeral Home.

Don was born to Clayton and Corene Watson, December 30, 1930 in Fort Worth. Don grew up skinny, but tough, in a neighborhood where tough was necessary. But, he was smart too… valedictorian at North Side High School and Golden Gloves fly weight champion of Fort Worth all in the same year.

He joined the Navy to see the world, and he ran radar systems on an ice breaker that patrolled the Northern Passage between Canada and the North Pole during the Korean War. His love of all-things radar drove him to earn a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M, a master’s from Southern Methodist University and then a PhD in Electrical Engineering from Oklahoma State A&M. He liked to say he was an Aggie-Squared.

He met the love of his life, Sammie, when he returned from the Navy, and they married in 1955. She supported him through this rigorous educational endeavor to the top of his career.

Don spent his “job” career at General Dynamics (“GD”), but life had other plans. Sammie was a loving and supportive homemaker, and eventually discovered her passion for selling real estate. She built Sammie Watson Real Estate in Azle, and Don eventually quit his job and joined her in a 20 year career managing the business. They had rental properties, a steak house, and Don even became the “bingo king” of Azle. Bingo paid off their steakhouse building, and put significant money back into local charities for a number of years.

After a diagnosis of Parkinson’s at 63, Don and Sammie traveled, and bought a cabin in the mountains of Colorado. For 10 years, they lived between Gunnison, Colorado and Port O’Conner/Rockport, Texas, where Don chased all manner of fish.

He remodeled cabins, built log furniture, and ATV’d every mountain trail he could find.

He finished his long battle with Parkinson’s Tuesday, August 23rd at the age of 85.

He is survived by his wife, Sammie; his daughter, Sandy, and her spouse, Jerry, and grandson, Clay Martin of Grapevine; son, Ron, and spouse, Julie Watson of Rockport; his older brother, Billy Watson, of Tulsa, is deceased, but Don is survived by his sister, Patsy, and spouse, Pat Green of Saginaw; and his brother, Wally, and spouse, Lora Watson of Ruston, LA.

We miss you Dad.