Born Cynthia Laureen Jones, on January 14, 1947, to Herman and Darline Jones in New York City, NY. The eldest born to this union, Cynthia accepted Christ through baptism at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Flushing, NY. As a child, she enjoyed traveling to visit family in Texas and Chicago during the summertime. She matriculated through the New York public school system attending P.S. 20 and graduating from Flushing High School.
Born into a family of educators, Cynthia learned at an early age that she was passionate about helping children. She attended college at Virginia Union University where she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Education. It was there on Virginia Union’s campus where Cynthia became a charter member of the Eta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. in 1967. A nonprofit business and professional organization for women, Cynthia furthered her commitment to serving others while continuing her education.
During a summer trip to Texas, Cynthia was reintroduced to and eventually fell in love with a family friend, Richard Watson. The two enjoyed a long-distance courtship and at the age of 21, Cynthia and Richard were married on December 28,1968, at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Flushing, NY. Cynthia completed her degree in education in May of 1969 before joining her husband in Kingsville, Texas.
With an intense love for reading books and her passion for helping young children, Cynthia became a school librarian at Harrell Elementary in Kingsville. Her role as a librarian served as a stepping-stone to her becoming a teacher at Harrell Elementary. Cynthia remained an educator in Kingsville for many years. Cynthia and Richard welcomed a son, Stephen, on October 8, 1974. In January 1978, the young family set their sights on new opportunities and moved to Austin. Before the end of the year, another son, Michael, was born on December 4th.
After the move to Austin, Richard and Cynthia became charter members of Covenant United Methodist Church in 1980. The birth of their daughter, Nicole, was soon followed in the fall of 1982. During this time, Cynthia continued to cultivate her career as a teacher within the Austin Independent School District. Cynthia taught at various schools throughout her tenure with A.I.S.D. including Cook Elementary, Oak Springs Elementary, Summit Elementary and Dobie Middle School before retiring in 1999.
Over the years, Cynthia took to several different hobbies. In her downtime, she enjoyed putting together puzzles, traveling, reading, quilting, and becoming the family historian. She had an innate love for African American history, culture and literature and was diligent in sharing these interests with her children. These collective interests that started largely as taking photos at family events and documenting the family history, led Cynthia to extensively research and eventually copyright and publish this information in her own books.
In retirement, Cynthia reconnected with her first love of serving others through the church in various groups: Covenant United Methodist Women, the weekly quilting group, Thursday morning Bible study, the Bereavement Committee, and the coordinator of Alpha Meals. She also made time for her weekly lunches with her dear friend, Barbara Stegall, and stayed connected with other close family and friends regularly.
Cynthia was a devoted daughter, an unwavering wife, ferociously protective mother, and a doting grandmother. She was a connector of people and a catalyst within their lives.
After a courageous battle with cancer, Cynthia went on to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on September 5, 2021. She was surrounded by her loved ones as she made a peaceful transition.
Cynthia is preceded in death by her father Herman Lee Jones, brother Herman Lee Jones, Jr., and sisters Beverly Ann Puryear and Patricia Arline Jones. She leaves behind her mother Darline Aquila Clark-Jones, her husband Richard Watson, sons Stephen (Rhianna), Michael (Jamie) and daughter Nicole (MacArthur), along with grandchildren Carter, Collins, Christopher Watson and MacArthur Davis III. Cynthia also has a vast host of family and close friends left to cherish her memory.
