Raymond Trecter Watt died Sunday February 10, 2019 in St Louis, Missouri. His daughter Laura was by his side as she had constantly been during his last illness. Father Steve Lawler performed the Last Rites for him. He was 82 years old.
“Pete” as he was known since childhood was born in St. Louis on May 18, 1936 to Raymond Trechter Watt and Kathryn Leone Zander. He graduated grade school in University City, Missouri, and junior and senior high school in Normandy, Missouri. Upon graduation from high school in 1954 he attended Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. He graduated with a BA in Political Science in June 1958. In recognition of his academic achievements at the university he was awarded a Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship to further his education at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Pete began his 31year career with IBM in 1961 in San Francisco, California. His employment designation was Systems Engineer. After a year he was moved to the Oakland, California Office of IBM and was on a two-person sales team selling the large IBM Main Frame computers. His partner ran the numbers and Pete did the explanations. It was a very successful team. One of their most successful accounts was the Radiation Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley.
In 1966 he was promoted to the Olympia, Washington IBM office as manager for the systems engineers and the sales team. He was then promoted to Springfield, Illinois as Branch Manager. In1973 he was transferred to IBM corporate headquarter in White Plains, New York where he served on a team that had responsibility for negotiating sales and service agreements with General Electric Corporation. In 1986 he was asked to join the Quarter Century Club at IBM which is a prestigious award to receive from IBM. After a long and successful career with IBM he chose to take early retirement in 1992.
On January 18, 1959 Pete married Nancy L. Johnston in Ferguson, Missouri. They moved to San Francisco, California where their daughter Laura DeVore Watt and son Andrew Johnston Watt were born.
Pete remarried in 1971 to Marilyn Bower Nelson of Olympia, WA. and became stepfather to her two sons, Mark L. Nelson and Greg W. Nelson. When Pete was transferred to White Plains, NY in 1973, the Watts built a home in Wilton, CT where they resided for 27 years until Pete’s retirement. In 2000, they relocated to Escondido, CA north of San Diego, California.
While in San Diego, the Watts joined St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, AKA St. Bart’s in Poway, California. They were both confirmed at St. Bart’s in 2001. Both Pete and Marilyn enjoyed world traveling having visited six continents. They also had considerable interest in gourmet cooking and fine dining, good music and of course the card game Bridge.
Pete was a very serious contract bridge player and took great pleasure in competing in regional tournaments. He actually developed his own Bridge System. His other wide interests included amateur photography and participating in the San Bernadino Audio Club. In October 2018 Pete returned to his hometown of St. Louis to be nearer his children.
He is survived by his daughter Laura DeVore Watt of Normandy, MO, and his son Andrew Johnston Watt (Diane Pena) of Chicago, Illinois; stepsons Mark L. Nelson (Diann) of East Alton, Illinois and Greg Nelson (Liz) of West Haven, CT; granddaughter Hailey Banks Watt of Chicago, IL and step grandson Eric L. Nelson of East Alton, IL. He was preceded in death by his wife of 33 years, Marilyn Bower Nelson Watt who died in March 2004. He is survived by special friend Bunny Schmidt of San Diego, California.
Memorial Church Service on Thursday, Feb. 21 at St Bartholomew's Episcopal Church at 16275 Pomerado Rd, Poway, CA 92064. Memorial Service is at 3 PM followed by reception from 4:00 – 6:00 PM.
Burial Ceremony on Saturday, Feb. 23 at Mills and Mills at Funeral Home and Cemetery 5725 Littlerock Road SW. Tumwater, WA 98512 Grave site service at 10 AM followed by reception 10:30 AM – Noon.
A Celebration of Life will be held in Ferguson, MO, at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church on March 10 at 2 p.m.
Donations in the memory of Raymond T. “Pete” Watt could be made to the American Cancer Society or a charity of your choice.
Partager l'avis de décès
v.1.11.2