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In memory of

Donald "Don" Omer Watson

San Tan Valley, Arizona, USA

June 23, 1930 - November 27, 2020

Jun 23, 1930 - Nov 27, 2020

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WATSON, Donald Omer of San Tan Valley, Arizona, passed peacefully in his home on Friday, Nov. 27, 2020 at the age of 90. Don was born in East Liverpool, Ohio in 1930, the second of three sons born to the late Clarence Watson and Laila Ries. His middle name was a bit of a family joke; he was supposed to be named Donald Homer after his paternal grandfather (Homer James Watson), but his name was misspelled on the birth certificate. After graduating from East Liverpool High School, he helped his maternal grandparents (P. Ernest Ries and Henrietta Stoffel) move from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Anaheim, California. He liked the West Coast so much he decided to stay and settle down in southern California himself. Don served briefly in the Army, but an injury saw him discharged after just a few months without seeing combat (unfortunate for his pride, but perhaps a blessing in disguise). After returning home from the service, Don worked for McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, and eventually moved on to work in the grocery markets. He joined the Alpha Beta grocery chain as a produce manager in 1959, and worked for that company until retirement. After retiring from Alpha Beta, Don started a hydroseeding business (Watson Hydro-Seeding) which he operated for 15+ years. Don enjoyed pets of all kinds, but had a special love for horses. He grew up riding show and race horses in Ohio, and got interested in rodeo when he moved west. He competed and trained horses in his spare time for many years, and after retiring from the markets, raising Quarter Horses became the great passion of his life. Don joined his daughter in Arizona in 1998 and spent the rest of his years there, doting on his grandkids and his horses and dogs.

Don is survived by his son, Kenny Seeley; daughter, Dona Garrison; son, Jack Watson; step-daughter, Michelle Willis; four grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and six great-great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by the mother of his two youngest children, (Shirley) Kay Kilburn; and his two brothers, Jack and Richard Watson.

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