Julia Arlene Watson

Julia Watson, 73, of Littleton, Colorado, took her final curtain call on Tuesday, October 13, 2020. Although she may have been short in stature, her abundance of heart and love towered over all who knew her.

Julia Arlene Henson made her debut as the first baby girl born to Estil and Eddie Henson in Englewood, Colorado on February 20, 1947. She spent a lifetime making friends, loving life and going by different variations of her name. You may have known her as Julia, Julie or Judy, followed by a last name of Henson, Roetker or Watson. But whatever you called her, you knew that she loved life and people, and that she gave her whole self to everything she did.

Julia grew up in Englewood, in the same neighborhood where her mom grew up. She graduated from Englewood High School in 1965 and went on to attend beauty college. She lived across the US, moving to different bases with her first husband, Gordon Roetker, in Georgia and then California. After moving back home to Colorado and eventually settling down in Canon City, Julia began teaching at the local beauty college.

She was a beloved hairdresser in town. She was a track and football mom to her son, Sean and a dance mom to her daughter, Tessa. She acted and sang in plays with both her son and daughter in the local community theater, worked with the local law enforcement as a victim’s advocate and even took a few shifts at the Canon Inn, where she met celebrities like Sam Elliott and the love of her life, John Watson.

John and Julia married in 1994 and ran an alarm technology business together for several years, before retiring in Englewood to care for her mom. Her old neighborhood was a comfort to her after she lost her mom and her husband within months of each other. She opted to stay in the same area that she knew and loved, living in a community that had once been a large country estate Julia had admired while growing up. In her new home, she made friends, enjoyed the lake and garden, and had nieces, nephews, grandkids and her great-granddaughter visit for holiday parties and outings. It was a peaceful life, after years of being a caretaker for ailing loved ones.

Julia had a way of making everyone around her feel important and loved. She made friends and left good lessons and love everywhere she went. Her local pharmacist knew her by name and referred to her as one of his favorite people. Her oldest granddaughter loved her as one of her best friends. Her little orange Subaru was a sign of happiness and joy, knowing that she was coming to visit and likely had a little gift or card to brighten your day.

As you move forward in your day, smile when you think of this beautiful woman who was loved by so many and brought love to so many more. That smile, in itself, would make her day.

Julia is survived by her son Sean (Melissa) Roetker of Aurora, Colorado, her daughter Tessa (Alan) Rife of Lake Dallas, Texas, her granddaughter Layne (Cameron) Schieve, grandsons Evander and Everson Rife, granddaughter Genevieve Rife, great granddaughter Sloan Schieve, step-daughters Dana (Pete) Forsey and Debbie (Michael) Johnston; step-granddaughters Rachel, Ava, and Raelyn, sister Jayme (Paul) Klein of Arvada, Colorado, brother Jeff (Debbie) Henson of Aurora, Colorado, and many nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents, Estil and Eddie Henson, her brother Jim Henson, and her husband John Watson.

Funeral services will be held at Fort Logan National Cemetery on November 6th, 2020 at 1:15 pm.