Robert L. Watson Jr. age 39, passed away on July 22, 2018. He was born April 20, 1979 to Robert L. Watson, Sr. & Dorothy Jean (Short) Watson in Saratoga Springs, NY. Robert was a very smart & gifted individual. Throughout his childhood he participated in many sports & played several instruments. In elementary school, Robert played Little League Baseball & was a member of the All Star Team. Robert’s first musical instrument that he learned to play was the piano, which his mother Dorothy (a pianist/organist) encouraged both her children to do. His first music instrument that he played in elementary school was the saxophone. Robert went on to play many instruments. In addition to the piano & saxophone, he also played the trumpet, trombone, violin & also sang. He was an All State trombone player, which meant he was one of the best trombone players in NY State. Something you may not know is that he considered joining the Marines to play in the band. He was a definite lover of music!
In high school, Robert was a member of the tennis team, captain of the wrestling team & played football for many years. He continued to be an avid tennis player as an adult. He started his football career playing on the modified team & stuck with it all the way to the varsity team. In 1996, he was a member of the Valhalla High School New York State Champion Team. He was very proud of being a part of that team & gained friendships that lasted a lifetime.
Robert was also very book smart. He excelled throughout his academic career. He was a member of both the National Junior Honor Society & National Honor Society. Robert graduated Valhalla high school in 1997. In 2001, he graduated from Emory University – Goizueta Business School, in Atlanta, GA, receiving his Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Business Administration, Management and Operations. Robert then went on to pursue his Master of Business Administration (MBA), Logistics, Materials, and Supply Chain Management at Penn State, graduating in 2006. While completing his MBA he did an internship at Ford, who offered him a permanent position, which he accepted. He packed up his things & headed to work for Ford in Michigan.
Relocating to Michian put him in the same state as most of his family. Although his time was limited, he tried his best to spend time with those he loved. Also, being in Michigan allowed him to be with his dear mother in her final days.
After leaving Ford in 2014, he went to work for United Technologies Corporation (UTC), in Hartford, CT. While there, he gained even more people to love & loved him back. After a couple years in Connecticut, the company relocated him to Palm Beach Gardens, FL. This is where he chose to buy a house & set up his permanent residence. Robert was the Associate Director of Commodities with UTC.
Throughout this journey called life, Robert gained many friends & loved ones. Robert was a very quiet person & private person, but that didn’t stop him from loving hard. If he allowed you in, you learned what a truly amazing person he was. He had the opportunity to travel the world, both for business & pleasure. He has gone to Mexico, China, Greece, India & the UK just to name a few places.
One thing that he was NOT private about was his love for his big sister Cherika & her 3 sons. He thought the world of his nephews! He was tough on them because he always wanted them to do better, but they were his only nephews & his world. He also shared a special bond with his father Robert. He will be GREATLY missed!
To cherish his love & memory he leaves, his father, Robert L. Watson, Sr. of White Plains, NY; one sister, Cherika N. Johnson of White Plains, NY; 3 nephews, Javaun A. Johnson, Jaden A. Johnson & Jordan N. Johnson of White Plains NY; maternal grandmother, Rebecca Short of Albion, MI; goddaughter, Hunter R. Moore of Detroit, MI, and a host of other relatives & friends. He is predeceased by his mother, Dorothy J. (Short) Watson.
Funeral Service will be Saturday, August 4, 2018 at 11:00AM at Bethel Baptist Church, 523 Washington Street, Albion, Michigan 49224 with family hour starting at 10:00AM prior to the service with Pastor Fred H. Alexander Jr. officiating. Interment to follow at Albion Memory Gardens, Albion.
Arrangements entrusted to J. Kevin Tidd Funeral Home, 811 Finley Drive, Albion, Michigan 49224
To leave online messages of condolence, please visit www.kevintiddfuneralhome.com
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