Virginia Lee Copeland Watson passed away peacefully on May 3rd, 2023 at age 98. She was born to Adam Edward and Mary Catherine (Kate) Waters Copeland on August 29, 1924 at their farm in central Missouri. She attended high school in nearby Dixon, Missouri where she enjoyed being a cheerleader. Upon graduation she made her way to Kansas City to live with her beloved Aunt Frances. Aunt Frances was a charter member of Country Club Christian Church and promptly introduced her to their Sunday School classes. At the time with many young men returning from service in World War II, there were numerous Sunday school social events. While attending one of these parties for the Seven Seas Sunday school class, she met Bill Watson, who had recently returned home to Kansas City after serving as a Navy Air Corps pilot during the war. They were married in October, 1949. In 1951 their only child was born, William E. Watson, Jr. Virginia’s first job when she arrived in Kansas City was as a bookkeeper for the C.J. Patterson Company. She had intended to be a “stay at home mother” but it was necessary for her to join her husband’s fledgling business, Watson Supply Company which he had founded in 1948. They became a wonderfully effective husband and wife team. Though she had no college and limited work experience, she did possess sound organizational skills coupled with abundant common sense, integrity and a strong work ethic. She provided the stability and strength on the inside and managed the finances while Bill applied his salesmanship talents and creativity to building the business. Watson Supply Company was a wholesale distributor of janitorial supplies which was itself an emerging industry. It was dominated for many years by local, family run distributors but at annual industry meetings and conventions, it was obvious that Virginia was one of the very few female business owners at that time. She was undaunted by this fact and more than held her own. She served as a pioneer for women’s success in business and earned the respect of fellow distributors and manufacturers throughout our industry. In 1995 she was recognized locally by the Central Exchange for her accomplishments as a woman business leader and in 2008 by the Central Industrial District Association for her leadership as a small business owner in the West Bottoms. For 63 years she helped run Watson Supply Company which later became WATCO Resources serving as Chairman before the company was sold in 2012.
Virginia enjoyed a variety of activities. She served on the board of the Nettleton Home and was a long-time member of the Kansas City Young Matrons. Above all she loved her family and her church. Monthly visits to the farm in central Missouri to visit and care for her parents were the norm. She also enjoyed being with her two brothers along with nieces and nephews who lived near the farm. In 1978 she and Bill purchased a condo in Green Valley, Arizona. They fell in love with the desert and became avid bird watchers. They also enjoyed absorbing the history about the Southwest and the traditions of the Native American and Hispanic peoples. Thus began the tradition of family visits there. When son Bill married Nancy in 1988, she soon took on her most cherished role, that of grandmother to Matt and Adam, who knew her as GIGI. She was a 77 year member of Country Club Christian Church and served as a Deacon for over 35 years. Virginia was passionate about gardening and in later years enjoyed tending to the roses outside the Chapel as a devoted member of the Green Team.
She is survived by her son, Bill Watson Jr., daughter-in-law Nancy Headley Watson, grandsons Matthew Headley Jones (Anne) and Adam Burge Watson (Kasey), niece Peggy Smith (Hal), nephew Ben Copeland (Kate) and great nieces Sara Copeland (Mark Galus) and Liz Hawks (TJ).
A Celebration of Life service will be held on May 20 at Noon at Country Club Christian Church, 6101 Ward Parkway Kansas City, MO 64113 with visitation at 11 am and a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations be made to Country Club Christian Church.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.mcgilleymidtownchapel.com for the Watson family.
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