BATON ROUGE— Captain William O. “Billy” Watson, 88, a beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, died Friday, Dec. 6, 2019, due to heart failure.
Services will be 11 a.m. today at Resthaven Funeral Home, 11817 Jefferson Highway in Baton Rouge.
Burial will follow at Resthaven Gardens of Memory under the direction of Resthaven Funeral Home.
Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until service time today at the funeral home.
Mr. Watson was born in Natchez, where he had many fond memories of growing up with his large family and attending school at Cathedral High. He joined the military in 1950 and became a proud Army Ranger. After military service, he returned to Natchez where his sister, Betty, introduced him to the love of his life, Shirley Lewis. They were married for 66 years.
Billy enjoyed a long and successful career in the maritime industry. He was a member of the New Orleans Baton Rouge Steamship Pilots Association. Billy was known as a hard worker, a mentor, and a friend who was happy to lend a helping hand. He retired after many years of service at age 70. Billy’s greatest joy was his family. He was kind, generous and dependable, often known to show up, Mary Lee Donuts in hand, offering support to his children and their families.
He loved to gather his family and friends around a barbecue grill or jambalaya pot and share stories of days gone by. Together with his wife, Shirley, Billy enjoyed the blessing of 14 great-grandchildren. He impacted many lives and will be greatly missed.
Billy was preceded in death by his parents, Captain William O. Watson and Lucille Taylor Watson; five siblings, Betty Henderson, Jimmy Watson, Sammy Watson, Robert Watson and Mike Watson; and one great-grandson, Henry Pecue IV.
In addition to his wife, Shirley, Billy is survived by his four children, Susan Watson Pecue and husband, Henry, Margaret Watson, William O. “Bud” Watson III and wife, Rhonda, and Christine “Tina” Watson Walker and husband, Lyle; 12 grandchildren, Brandy Jones and husband, Gary, Henry Pecue III and wife, Betty, Michael Pecue, Allison Frey and husband, Lane, Charles Walker and wife, Alicia, William O. Watson IV and wife, Jessica, Jerry Falgoust and wife, Cherie, Melissa Fleming and husband, Blake, Matthew Walker and wife, Tiffany, Kathryn Watson, Christian Walker and wife, Kate, and Garrett Watson; and three sisters, Patsy Watson, Judi Jarreau and Suzie Dendy and husband, Billy Joe.
Pallbearers will be grandsons, Captain Gary Hill and Captain David Shirah.
The family wishes to express their gratitude to Dr. Carl Luikart and his staff for many years of care. Special thanks to the kind and compassionate caregivers who helped Billy deal with the effects of Lewy Body Dementia at The Blake at The Grove and St. Joseph Hospice.