Jeannette Joyce Blocker Watson

Jeanette Joyce Blocker Watson Jeannette Joyce Blocker Watson died Sunday, June 19, 2005 at the age of 79. She was preceded in death by her parents, Hugh and Nettie Blocker, and her sister, Dorothy Blocker Perkins. She is survived by her husband of 58 years, Dan Watson; three children, Mark Watson and wife Debbie of New Braunfels, Jan Watson of Conway, AR, and Pam Watson of Austin; four grandchildren, 4 great grandchildren, and a wonderful extended family of in-laws, nieces, and nephews. Everyone knew Jeannette had a fighting spirit because she weighed 1 ½ lbs at her birth in 1925. Her grandmother made an incubator of hot bricks and her father’s softest handkerchiefs became her diapers. She grew up in Nash, TX, a self-described tomboy, and graduated from Texarkana High School. Jeannette graduated from UT in 1947 and started her career teaching at Austin High School. After a few years of being a professional homemaker and taking care of 3 small children, she found her passion in teaching young children. In 1956 she opened Child Development Center, one of the first private kindergartens in the city of Austin and ran the kindergarten for 17 years. She was also the volunteer Executive Director of the Texas Council for Early Childhood Education until Governor Preston Smith appointed her as the Director of the newly created Office of Early Childhood Development in 1971. Jeannette continued her work with young children as a nationally recognized Early Childhood Development Consultant and served on numerous boards such as NAEYC, Mental Health Association of Texas, SACUS, Parents as Teachers National Center, and the city of Austin Child Care Council. She won many awards such as the T. Berry Brazleton Award, proclamations from the Texas State Senate and her most recent commendation was the Jeannette Watson Day proclamation from the city of Austin on May 27, 2004. Multiple System Atrophy took over her body and stole her voice as it eventually took her life. One of Jeannette’s legacies was that she mentored many others to continue to be the voice for young children. She is forever grateful to those who, like her, have taken up this significant work. In addition to numerous memberships in various organizations, she was an active member in Delta Kappa Gamma and in her church, University Avenue Church of Christ. A Family visitation will be held Monday evening at 6:00PM – 8:00PM at Weed-Corley Fish Funeral Home. A celebration of her life will be held Tuesday, June 21, 2005, 10:00AM at University Avenue Church of Christ, 1903 University Avenue, Austin, TX. Interment will follow at Austin Memorial Park. Memorials can be made to Central Texas Childrens Home, 1925 Crane Rd, Buda, TX, 78610. Memorials and guestbook online at wcfish.com