John F Watson

John F. Watson

March 24, 1945 - February 17, 2023

February 17th, 2023 marked a new chapter in our family's life. John passed on peacefully at the Rogue
Valley Manor with family by his side. He fought the good fight, his battle with cancer never detering
him from loving and laughing with family and friends. John was born in Merced, California March
24th ,1945 to Robert F. Watson and Evelyn (Clary) Watson. John is survived by his wife of 55 years,
Pat (Hitson) Watson; children Kimberly Ann Watson, John Rian Watson; his sister Mary Watson, niece
Carrie (Wismer) Yakola, many cousins, and friends. John's family moved from ranching in central
California to a ranch in Rogue River, Oregon in 1959. He attended Rogue River High School,
graduating in 1962. He went on to Utah State and Oregon State Universities where he graduated with a
Bachelors in Business Administration and Business Education.

John had an interest in construction, which led him to become a Journeyman Carpenter. With these
skills, he established Watson Construction, surveying and leading building projects in the Lake Grove
and Portland area. In 1980, he took a job as a construction manager for the Northwest Region of Kaiser
Hospitals. After leaving Kaiser in 1992, he partnered with his wife to pursue real estate development,
constructing Pine Crossing Manufactured Home Park in Canby, Oregon. The two of them went on to
manage family businesses and partnered in the development of Amber Grove Memory Care. John also
served on various HOA boards. He was a member of the Portland Chapter of the Construction
Specifications Institute, the International Harvester Club of the Willamette Valley, and Lake Grove
Presbyterian Church.

John was always willing to lend a helping hand to someone in need and never liked seeing a job left
undone. He was known for his work ethic, planning abilities, and map skills. Outside of work and
family, John loved all things outdoors. His attention to detail and map skills led to many adventures
with his family to Europe and across the United States. Choosing roads less traveled led to many
adventures from the coast to the mountains. He loved sharing his travels with clubs, friends, family,
and people he met along the way.

John had a little known knack for cooking, which led to yearly Christmas Clam Chowder gatherings and
magnificent margarita mixes. He was a jack of all trades and could fix almost anything. His meticulous
attention to detail brought him great joy in knowing he'd completed a job well done. He passed this
legacy of life and things he loved on to his wife and down to his children. John's passing leaves a hole in
our hearts as well as hope for the future as we carry his living memory with us always.

A Memorial Service will be planned for early summer. Memorial Contributions may be made to the
American Cancer Society and the Western Rivers Conservancy.