Barbara J. Watson

Barbara Watson (née Jackson) of Leesville, SC entered Heavenly Rest on Monday, 26 May 2025. Born on 19 July 1953 in Minneapolis, MN, she lived in many locations during her youth, following her Dad’s and Uncle’s ownership of lumber mills across the US, though she considered Thompson Falls, MT home, having graduated from Thompson Falls High in 1971.

Barbara briefly attended the University of Montana where she studied Textiles and Design, before entering the U.S. Forest Service. Upon transferring to the Montana Army National Guard, Barbara was sent to Fort Jackson for Basic Training, accepted a job with the South Carolina Army National Guard (SCARNG) in Columbia in February 1977, and has since called South Carolina home.

Barbara met her future husband, Julian Watson, Jr., also a member of the SCARNG, in March of 1977: by May, they were engaged and married on 21 October of the same year.

Barbara and Julian, or “Jimmy” to friends and family, shared a love of all things nature. After working for more than 30 years in the Guard, each, Barbara and Jimmy retired as Command Sergeants Major, then began their study of nature in earnest: Both received their SC State Master Naturalist certificates, as well as certificates for S.C. Midlands Master Gardeners and Master Naturalists for Glacier National Park. They worked closely with the S.C. Wildlife Federation and the Congaree Land Trust for many years doing property surveys, wildlife studies, and volunteering both in the SCWF office and in the field. Barbara and Jimmy found God in Nature, and to them, being outside among His creations was their “church.”

In addition to nature, Barbara quickly became interested in Jimmy’s passion for sportscar and sportscar racing. When they met, Jimmy was already an experienced rally driver and course marshal. Barbara joined in working corners at races and served as a navigator in regional rallies across the Southeast. Over the years, they attended the SportsCar Club of America (SCCA) National Runoffs at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in Braselton, GA from their honeymoon in 1977 until the Runoffs moved in 1996, then later attended multiple races in Formula 1, the American Le Mans Series, IMSA, and many SCCA Club Races after their daughter, Rebecca, born in 1981, who adopted their love of sportscar racing, received her SCCA Competition Racing License in 2003. Three years later, Rebecca and her husband, Steve, opened Panic Motorsports, LLC, and Barbara and Jimmy were back at the track more than ever.

Outside of nature and sportscar racing, Barbara’s passions were for quilting and her granddaughter, Marilyn (MK), born in 2005.

Barbara made lap quilts, bed-sized quilts, and quilted hangings for family, friends, on commission, and for every baby born to Rebecca’s friends over the past 15 years. Barbara truly believed and lived by the saying, “She who dies with the most fabric, wins.” :) She also enjoyed making clothes for Rebecca, when she was young, and in recent years, Barbara began knitting.

Upon her retirement from the Guard, in April 2005, Barbara began to care for MK while Rebecca and Steve were at work. She taught MK how to sew and knit, and Barbara and Jimmy instilled in her their love for nature through multiple nationwide trips to National Parks from the North Cascades in Washington to Yellowstone in Montana and Wyoming, and Zion Park in Utah to Congaree National Park in Hopkins, SC. Barbara was “over the moon” happy when MK selected Conservation Biology as her Major at Clemson University Honors College last year.

Barbara would speak to and hug, anyone; even perfect strangers. She was well known for her hugs, ending every conversation with “love you,” whether she knew the person or not, and saying “Birdseed” rather than “Cheese,” when taking a picture – a reference to a PEANUTS Snoopy Comic from April 2007 that was well known to close family, but confused everyone else! :)

Barbara joins in Heaven her parents, Wiley E. Jackson of Copan, OK and Jean (née Brown) Jackson of Erin, WI, as well as her nephew, Frank Jackson of Missoula, MT and her sister-in-law, Dianne (née Watson) Sellers of Chesterfield, SC.

She is survived by her husband of more than 48 years, Julian "Jimmy" Watson; daughter, Rebecca “Becca” Bertok (Steve) and granddaughter Marilyn “MK” Bertok of Lexington, SC; brother, George Jackson (Patrice) of Indio, CA; sister-in-law, Cynthia (née Watson) Hayes, and brother-in-law, Harold Watson (Debbie) both of Cheraw, SC; brother-in-law, Robert Watson of Lexington, SC; nieces, Jennifer, Megan, and Ashley; nephews, Adam and Andi; the rest of the numerous Watson Clan; and more friends and “bonus family” in the naturalist community, fellow quilters, knitting ladies, and members of the SCCA than we can possibly count.

A memorial service for Barbara will be held Monday, June 2, 2025 at 3:00 PM at Caughman-Harman Funeral Home - Lexington Chapel, 503 North Lake Drive, Lexington, SC 29072, with visitation to follow.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Barbara’s name to:

The S.C. Wildlife Federation: SCWF.org,

Friends of Jocassee: FriendsOfJocassee.org, or

the Glacier National Park Conservancy: Glacier.org.