Howard Joe Watson

Howard Joe Watson peacefully passed from this earth surrounded by his family on January 17, 2025.

Howard loved being a husband, dad, pawpaw, uncle, and friend.

He was born to Rich (Tot) and Stella Watson on August 27, 1946, and married the love of his life, Kay Kirk, on September 3, 1966. 

Howard is survived by his wife of 58 years, Kay Watson, his children, Rick and Donna Jo Watson, and his grandchildren, Ricky, Caitlyn, and Hannah Watson. His sibling and in laws, Weldon (Edna) Kirk, Sandy (Gerald) Lejeune, Dena (David) Hinds, Richard Elliott, Gene Huff, and Dave Payne as well as many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, sibling Patsy Cornelius Payne, and in-laws Juanita Elliott, June Huff, Jean & Floyd Hafley, and Melvin Cornelius.

Howard was a friend to everyone he met. He was the hero of our family for each of us in different ways in different seasons. The way he adored his wife, children, grandchildren, siblings, nieces / nephews, truly any and everyone was amazing. To say he was special would fall flat. He was everything to everyone. 

He played a mean game of cards and dominoes. Pick the game and he was in for a round or two. He collected guns and coins. He loved to fish (especially with his brother-in-law (Weldon) and would catch and fry it up and smiled while doing it all. 

He was an expert in most things. If you needed something done, you could count on Howard to make it happen. Once on a family trip to Colorado, a storm was moving in, so he dropped us off to mine for gold and said to call when we were ready. After a large clap of thunder, Hannah urgently said, “Call PawPaw, Call Pawpaw” and to this day when we need something we say “Call PawPaw, “Call PawPaw”.

He loved a good “dad” joke. He never let having one leg hold him back. He said that when Caitlyn was born,he ran all the way up at least 3 flights of stairs to see her (despite not being able to run). When Ricky was young, he was ready for his Pawpaw to get up; so, Ricky picked up his artificial leg, handed it to him, and said “time to get up Pawpaw”.

He always looked forward to the grandkids coming to visit. Since they allowed us to track their location, when they would get close, he would drive his scooter to the end of the cul-de-sac and wave at them as they turned on the street.

Anytime Caitlyn or Hannah would be ready to leave, Pawpaw would stop them and ask, “how did you get so pretty?” to which they would always reply “because I look like my Pawpaw.”

The way he loved marked our lives, and we will all miss him terribly. While our hearts ache this side of Heaven, we know we will be together again one day.