Kenneth Watson's Obituary
Kenneth Watson, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend, passed away at the age of 81 years on July 9, 2024, in Oakland, California. Kenneth was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1942, the oldest of four sons, to Ernest and Marian Watson. He was a man of immense kindness, humor, wit, and intelligence, whose adventurous and positive spirit left an indelible mark on all who had the privilege of knowing him.
Throughout his life, Kenneth found joy and friendship through athletic endeavors. In high school, his athletic prowess earned him a place in the North High Rangers Hall of Fame. He was the only catcher on his championship team and caught every inning of every game with no errors, a record that remains to this day.
Kenneth faced life's challenges with a positive attitude, always turning “lemons into lemonade” and inspiring those around him to do the same. When drafted, his adventurous spirit led him to join the Airborne and Special Forces (Green Berets), where he jumped out of airplanes for the thrill and challenge of it. His zest for life continued with skiing, triathlons, bicycling, and running up Mt. Diablo. He ran the monster hill of Claremont Canyon an incredible 800 times, simply for the joy of it.
In 1975, Kenneth Watson and Paulette Sharp, fell in love. Their love was immediate and enduring, lasting 49 wonderful years. He was deeply loved by his blended family. He is survived by children Scott (Teresa), Wendy (Josh), Jeannine, Jim, eight grandchildren and three great grandchildren. Ken is also survived by his younger brother Robert Watson.
Kenneth was a successful business owner, known for his honesty and the friendships he built with his customers. His legacy of love, humor, and adventurous spirit will continue to live on in our hearts.
A celebration of Ken’s life will occur at the Chapel of the Chimes 4499 Piedmont Avenue, Oakland, on August 4, at 11:00.
In lieu of flowers, or gifts, we ask for donations to be given to the ALS association, or Team Gleason, (who supplies assistive technology and equipment for people with ALS):
https://donate.als.org/give/287064/#!/donation/checkout?c_src=jumppage
https://teamgleason.org/technology-equipment/
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