Obituary of William "Bill" Watson

On Thursday, May 30th, William Watson "Bill" died at the age of 93. He was watching the antics in the House of Commons on tv- enough to do anyone in, especially a man of principle like Bill. He was a devoted husband, wonderful father and proud grandpa. He taught his kids how to ski, drive a car, balance a budget, and so much more. He was kind, generous, and always happy to pitch in to get a job done. His standards were high, and an icy stare of disapproval was enough to ensure a misdemeanour wasn’t repeated. He was just as exacting of himself….cries of “by the ol’ Harry” for minor mistakes, or “ten thousand curses on it” if a plan went completely awry.

Bill and his bride-to-be, Dib, met as students at Mount Allison. Despite being very different (logical loner meets instinctive extrovert), they fell in love and next week would have marked 70 years of marriage. They built a happy life together, first in Summerside, then Fredericton, and to the end, he referred to Dib as his bride.

Bill was a proud Newfoundlander and PEng. After decades of designing schools, offices, and churches, he traded his slide rule for a garden hoe and studied landscape architecture at the University of Guelph. His interests ranged from politics to poetry. He loved roast beef, Mozart, well-written spy novels, and most of all spending time with his family at home and at the lake. Some of his happiest moments were at the cottage, puttering in the morning, and relaxing in the sun in the afternoon.

Bill was a rock…patient, steady, and supportive. He gave the best advice, but only if asked. We’ll miss so many things about him, but perhaps his wise counsel most of all. His was a life well-lived for sure.

Bill leaves his wife Dib, children Nancy, Judy (Del) and Ian (Kelly) and granddaughter Sarah, brother Stuart Watson (and family) and sister Sydney Ann (and family). He was predeceased by his son Bob (Olivera).

As Bill requested, there will be no service.