Willie Watson

Willie Watson, age 75 of 605 W. Garden Street Sanford, NC passed on Wednesday, September 13, 2017 at his residence.

On November 17, 1941, Willie Hugh Watson was born to the late Beatrice and George “Buster” Watson in Sanford, NC. Peacefully, he returned home to his heavenly Father on September 13, 2017 at 6:33pm from the comforts of his own home with family at his bedside. 

Mr. Watson lived a joyous life filled with a lot of laughter and sincerity for others. One would always find Mr. Watson’s hands in a ready position to help so many other  people in need. If you called on him for help, he was willing to go. 

Willie loved the Lord such as his father did and preached the gospel in his early 30’s.  He had begun a church but then closed it and took his ministry to the streets. No matter where Willie found himself, he was going to share the good news of the gospel to “Someone!” He had found a love in the Lord and understood that he could do nothing without Him by his side. 

Willie loved the drums as a youngster and played in the school band and then later with the Rock Horton Combo Band. He played the drums and sang while the crowd danced the night away!  As a child, he knew that he wanted to be a policeman and that is just what he accomplished in his 20’s. Simply serving as a policeman was not enough as he ventured into the service of a Lee County Sheriff Officer and then later a detective.

After many years of service in law enforcement, life showed him another adventurous opportunity as a maintenance supervisor for the Sanford Housing Authority. It was there where he worked for 30 years with the last 10 as a Housing Inspector. He met many people and befriended them all. He even gave “some” breaks on the inspections to landlords! (lol) “you might be one reading this obituary now!” He loved working for Housing and he especially loved the team that he worked with. 

His sweetheart was Pamela Watson. They had married and did divorce after 23 years, but love never broke its strength between the two. In his last years of battling prostate cancer, she remained by his side and encouraged him to be strong and laugh. We believe that his strength and ability to live 16 years past the doctors diagnosis of only 2 was simply because of love from his entire family, support from friends, the Lord, and his “no doubt” determination to prove the doctors wrong! 

Willie Watson’s survivors are: His “Long Time Sweetheart”, Pamela Watson; Daughters: Mellisa Rhinehart (Dennis), Myrtle Womble (Ricky),  Angela Cooke (Jeffrey), and Adrienne Crosby (Richard); Grand-children: Tenisha Womble, Alicia Davis, Desiree Rhinehart, Treyvon Tomlinson, Jaden Tomlinson, Nina Tomlinson, Twins-Alex and Adrian Crosby; Great Grandchildren: Janiyah Rhinehart and Faith Britton; Siblings: Julia Heck, Cleveland Watson, David Watson, Claude Watson, Tyrone Watson, Anna Belle Jackson and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Arrangements By: Knotts Funeral Home, Sanford

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