John William Watson

It is with great sorrow and heavy hearts that we announce that John lost his brave and courageous battle with small cell lung cancer on the morning of May 20, 2022. He passed on in the comfort of his home, under the loving care of his wife, Lou Ann Watson. Known to John as not only his wife, but also his soulmate, Lou Ann has remained steadfast by his bedside during his fight with this terrible disease.

John was born June 3, 1952, in Baltimore, Maryland. He is predeceased by his parents Robert Watson, Sr., and Doris Dembosky, as well as his step-father, Albert Dembosky. Loved and cherished by his siblings, Bob Watson, Lynn Belyea, Jackie Wagenfer and his late brother Doug Watson. To his sisters Jackie and Lynn, John will forever be known as not only their brother, but as their hero and their solid rock to which they could lean on through many of life’s challenges and hard times.

John has made Warner Robins, Georgia his home for the last 35 years. However, long before that, in 1971 at the age of 19, he enlisted in the United States Air Force where he served continuously for 22 years until his retirement August 31, 1993. He started his Air Force career as a Crew Chief on the well-known service wide, C-130 Hercules aircraft. John and his aircrew, participated in numerous missions in the skies over Vietnam and the surrounding region. Not long after the war in Vietnam concluded, and looking for a new challenge, John decided to join the recruiting service in 1977. Recruiting is an often underappreciated and thankless job, with long hours, countless evolving requirements, restrictions, policies, bureaucratic obstacles. John took to this challenging career move with the skills, tact, and professionalism he was well known for. John started as a local area recruiter and worked several recruiting assignments that included time at the Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS), Air Force Recruiting Headquarters, and culminating as a District Superintendent until retirement.

Looking ahead to life’s next chapter, a brilliant move on his part, John spent his spare time during his last few years of military service, earning his prized Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) of America, accreditation, and certification. So, in 1993, after his military retirement, John achieved his lifelong dream of becoming a PGA Professional. He remained employed as head golf pro at several golf courses in the Warner Robins area, beginning at Waterford Golf Course in 1993 and ending at Houston Springs where he retired in 2021. He loved every course he worked and played on. Most of all, John loved to teach the sport. Even when he wasn’t working, he would always offer support and suggestions to help others improve their game. John’s military experiences fostered a strong work ethic which carried over into his golf career. Throughout his personal life, and military and golf careers, John proved to be a substantial and positive influence on the lives of not only his family, but also thousands of people he met along the way.

John was a devoted husband, a loving and caring father, a loyal friend, and the life of the party. You would often find him on the golf course sharing his love of the game lending to others his humble approach and always ready to teach others how to play and respect the game. If you knew him well, then you knew he was referred to as “Watson” or “Dub”. He often had nicknames for those in his life he held close. If he used one for you, that meant you were special to him in some way. He was known as a beer enthusiast, a lover of cars, especially his beloved 82’ Corvette. John was also a master of trivia, he and Lou loved to play trivia with their friends at Roco’s Bar. John had a famous quote in his circles, where he was known to say, “everything is just fine and dandy”. Not much will be “fine and dandy” without John here to bless our lives, but those that knew and loved him will do their best to keep the spirit of his quote moving forward. John leaves behind his beloved wife of 10 years, Lou Ann Watson, his daughters Kim Watson and Korin (Kori) Frey, his bonus daughters, Sherrie Williams and Emily Boyd, as well as his treasured grandchildren. He will be missed and never forgotten by lifelong friends he had throughout his life. He will live inside our memories until our last breath and his legacy will live on forever.

A memorial gathering with John’s family will be Saturday, June 11, 2022, from 2:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. at McCullough Funeral Home. The memorial service celebrating his life will be held immediately following visitation at 3:00 p.m. in the chapel of McCullough Funeral Home with Reverend Chad Wood officiating. For friends and family unable to attend, the service will be streamed live via the McCullough Funeral Home Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mcculloughfuneralhome/live/.

Learn more about the measures McCullough Funeral Home is taking to ensure the health and safety of our guests at www.mcculloughfh.com. There you can also sign an Online Registry for the family. McCullough Funeral Home and Crematory has the privilege of being entrusted with these arrangements.