Jane Louise Watson

Jane Louise Watson passed away in her home on 02 November 2024. She was born to Thomas Woodrow Watson and Frances Georgette (White) Watson on 29 September 1947 in Glendale, California. She grew up in Glendale while it was a small rural town. She attended Emerson Junior High, and graduated from University High School in 1965. Jane studied at UCLA, graduating with honors, receiving a B.A. in Linguistics in 1969. Later, Jane lived and worked in Washington D.C. during the 1970s earning her masters at Georgetown University.

Throughout Jane’s life, she was interested in many things. She loved gardening roses, listening to a wide variety of music, attending a myriad of concerts, and the ballet with a small group of friends. She traveled extensively, touring on cruise ships with friends to the Caribbean, and to Florida to stay in her timeshare. Jane’s love of travel may have stemmed from trips her family took while she was young to beaches and mountains in her birth state of California. Jane also traveled in college with groups of friends to various locations. Some highlights of Jane’s travels were to the Grand Canyon, and to Yosemite National Park where Jane was able to witness and photograph Old Faithful erupting. Jane visited all over North America and to parts of Europe.

The one state that Jane toured the most was Colorado. In this state that Jane loved so much, she finally found a place to call home. In Colorado, Jane settled into the position of court reporter at Davis, Graham & Stubbs, LLP, working there until she retired in November of 2015. Upon retiring, Jane became very interested in her family’s genealogy. She was able to trace her lineage into the 1700s, and inspired other cousins to also research genealogy.

Jane was an avid reader and lover of books. She was able to indulge her many interests by traveling to places or by reading about them. She loved photography, astronomy, and supporting the arts. She loved going to art, science and history museums. There was nothing that did not pique Jane’s interests.

After Jane’s retirement, she reconnected with her Uncle Steve and Aunt Mary Anne White of Charlottesville, Virginia. She came to see them repeatedly for two to three weeks at a time over Christmas to New Years. She loved being with family, and especially found joy when surrounded by the many small children at the annual White’s Family New Year’s Eve parties. Jane’s cousins, nephews, nieces, and great nephews and great nieces all quickly came to love her.

Jane was a very private person, but to those who knew her, she was kind, sweet, shy and brilliant.

Jane was pre-deceased by her Father, mother, and her sister, Helen Frances Watson, who passed away tragically at the age of 26.

There will be a memorial Mass for Jane Louise Watson in Charlottesville, Virginia at St. Thomas Aquinas Church on the 15th of November 2025. She will be interred there at the St. Vincent Ferrer Columbarium of the Dominican Friary.