Joe Roland Watts

Joe Roland Watts, born July 8, 1943, passed away in Conroe Regional Medical Center on April 9, 2015, after a brave year and half battle with skin and lung cancer. After surviving several surgeries, radiation treatment, and chemotherapy that resulted in kidney failure, it was Joe’s heart attack that caused his wife, Pat, to have him rushed to the emergency room on the night of April 7th. Unfortunately, Joe never regained consciousness, and he died on Thursday, April 9th, with Pat and other family members at his side. Joe was born in Del Rio, Texas, the son of Frances Elizabeth (Dodson) and Joseph Raymond Watts. He is preceded in death by his parents, his son Darrell R. Watts, and son-in-law Doug Clodfelter. Joe graduated from Austin High School in El Paso, Texas, and entered the Marine Corps Reserve in 1962. After initial training at Twentynine Palms, California, he served in the 40th Rifle Company in Lubbock, Texas. He attained the rank of Sergeant and was honorably discharged in 1968. He graduated from Texas Technical College with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting in 1966. Upon graduation, he served as an accountant for the City of Lubbock, Texas, until 1968, when he joined the City of Wichita Falls, Texas, as Chief Accountant. In 1971, he left Wichita Falls as the Director of Finance to take the same position at the Gulf Coast Waste Disposal Authority (GCWDA) in the Clear Lake City area of Houston, Texas. Joe’s interest in computers grew with their application to business finance and he made a career shift to become a specialist in information technology. After creating the information systems group, he left GCWDA for a brief period to live in Breckenridge, Colorado, returning in 1978 to lead GCWDA’s information systems group until his retirement in 2009. As a man of great character, enduring strength, and unbounding love for family, friends, and people in general, Joe will be remembered for his friendly smile, positive attitude, and loyalty and generosity to his friends. He was an accomplished photographer and avid golfer. But since his retirement, the activity he enjoyed most was touring Texas and the United States with Pat and their schnauzer, Missy, in their motor coach. When possible, they liked to leave in May, travel their mapped route, and return home in the fall to share the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays with family and friends. They have visited 28 of the 50 states and made so many new friends along the way. Going to Escapee and Thousand Trail Rallies cemented their close relationship with other RV travelers. Joe leaves to cherish his memory, his wife, Patricia Cummins Heugel Watts, his sister, Sandra Watts Lawrence and her husband, Brian Lawrence, and their children Sharon Lawrence Goodwin, Scott Lawrence, and Philip Lawrence; his daughter, Shawn Watts Clodfelter; step-daughter Julie Heugel Guthrie and her husband, Tom Guthrie, and their children, Melissa Guthrie and Daniel Guthrie; step-son Billy Heugel and his wife, Kim Shields Heugel, his children, Blake Heugel, Bobby Heugel, Bradley Heugel and his wife Sorayda Heugel and her children, Alayna and Natalie, Brandon Heugel and wife Shannon Ditta Heugel and their son Branson Heugel. Pat Watts and family would like to invite Joe’s friends to a reception to celebrate his life at 2 PM on Saturday, May 2nd, at The Village Golf Club, 73 Greenbriar Drive, Conroe, Texas 77304. In lieu of other remembrances, donations may be made to the American Heart Association.

Joe Roland Watts

July 8, 1943 - April 9, 2015