Merle Wilbur Watts

Merle Wilbur Watts, 88, resident of Northglenn, Colorado for 42 years, passed away on June 15, 2012, while at Balfor Hospice in Louisville, Colorado after battling a long illness. He was born on April 20, 1924 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin the son of Wilbur E. and Osee E. Watts. He joined the Navy in 1942 and served 3 years during WWII as a radioman. Upon release from the Navy, he returned to school earning a bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay. After working 32 years as an Electrical Engineer with Western Electric/AT&T, he retired in 1980. He married Frances E. Dunn of Marshfield, Wisconsin on November 3, 1942 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Mrs. Watts passed away in 2006. They resided in Milwaukee until 1952 when they moved to Boston, Massachusetts. In 1953 they moved to Norfolk, Virginia. After two years, they were transferred to Winston/Salem, North Carolina where he spent his spare time building his family a house. However, before they could move into the house, he was transferred in 1957 to El Paso, Texas where they lived the next 13 years. In 1970, his final transfer took them to Denver, Colorado where he was always surrounded by loving family and close friends. Merle had a variety of interests throughout his life. His first love was that for traveling. He has traveled throughout the United States driving, camping, ferrying, visiting relatives and sightseeing. He is well known in the family for the hundreds and hundreds of hours of movie picture taking throughout his travels. Family and friends alike enjoyed watching these projector/reel-to-reel home movies during special gatherings. He loved trains, displaying his vast collection of cars on his ""train city"" every Christmas which took up the entire den in the house. He was sure to make every holiday a magical and joyful occasion. After retirement, he took on a new interest when he enrolled in an aviation course. He surprised everyone, especially Frances, when he took her flying for the first time and he was the pilot. He flew for many years and owned his own Cessna Moony. He was sure happy to share that part of his adventure with anyone who wanted to take a short flight with him on a beautiful day. He also spent many hours volunteering both at the AT&T Company Store and as a conductor of a small tourist trolley near downtown Denver, Colorado. Merle is preceded in death by his loving wife of 63 years, Frances E. Watts; his father, Wilbur E. Watts; his mother, Osee E. Watts; a brother, Jay Watts; and his grandson, Riley Daniel Lawyer. He is survived by his brother, Raymond and Dorothy Watts of Melbourne, Florida; his son, Ronald and YeeKome Watts of Poway, California; daughters, Barbara and John Abston of Madison, Alabama, Nancy Lawyer of Thornton, Colorado, Sandra and Rob Wilson of Delta Junction, Alaska, and Elizabeth Miranda of Thornton, Colorado; and son, Daniel and Marie Watts of Omaha, Nebraska. He is also survived by 15 grandchildren and 35 great-grandchildren. Memorial Service will be Thursday, June 21, 2012 at 10 AM, Horan & McConaty Family Chapel, 9998 Grant Street, Thornton. Committal Service will follow at 1:15 PM, Fort Logan National Cemetery, 3698 South Sheridan Boulevard, Denver, Colorado. Memorial Donations may be made in Merle's honor to: HospiceCare of Boulder and Broomfield Counties 2594 Trailridge Drive East Lafayette, Colorado 80026 Please share your memories of Merle and condolences with his family by selecting the ""Sign Guestbook"" button below.