Mary Ellen Theresa Watts

Mary Ellen was born on the 4th of July, 1929 in Denver, Colorado. Her parents, Thomas Patrick McAndrews and Leona Chloe Smith McAndrews, loved her very much and raised her in Laramie, Wyoming. Mary Ellen enjoyed dance, music, and horses in her childhood.

Her mother made all of her dance recital outfits and was a master hostess of birthday parties which were reported about in the local newspaper. Mary Ellen attended Cathedral high school in Denver, Colorado where she was involved in leadership activities and selected Prom Queen. She completed two years at the University Colorado, Boulder.

She worked at the Denver Dry Goods, skiing through the winters and water skiing through the summer months in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. Of all places, Mary Ellen met the love of her life, John R. C. Watts, while attending a night school weather class. John joined the Marine Corps and was stationed at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside. Their romance was long distance until John proposed for the third time and Mary Ellen said yes! They were married at St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church on February 3, 1961 and began their 43 years of married life together in Oceanside. They valued family life and raised their four daughters in Oceanside.

Mary Ellen was a devoted wife and mother and created a loving, positive, and nurturing home. She was involved with her girls education: active in the PTA & Boosters, volunteering at the schools, swim meets, field hockey events, leading Camp Fire Girl groups and always welcoming friends at their home. The family was involved with the Oceanside Swim Club where Mary Ellen made lifetime friends. Her organization, bookkeeping, and financial skills served her family well. She enjoyed all kinds of volunteer work while pursuing photography, gardening, and floral design hobbies. Together, the family enjoyed sailing, water skiing, and camping trips. Mary Ellen and John celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on a dream trip to Ireland. Mary Ellen is 99% Irish and her corned beef and cabbage meal on St. Patrick’s day is legendary.

Mary Ellen was employed by the Oceanside School District for 32 years as a dedicated teachers’ aid. She loved working with students and staff at Mission Elementary School along with other schools in the district.

Mary Ellen was an active member of the St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church. She was described by a friend as a 1st Corinthians 13 woman: patient, kind, selfless, hopeful, and focused on love. Mary Ellen raised her four girls in the church, participated in the Women’s Guild, and in her later years enjoyed going to daily Mass.

Inspirational strong-woman that she was, Mary Ellen went to the gym on a regular basis and would often be seen mowing her own lawn into her 80’s.

Mary Ellen learned to love baseball from her father. She is a San Diego Padres fan through and through but was big-hearted enough to cheer on the Giants when she made a dream come true and went to the 2012 World Series.

Mary Ellen valued traditions and family celebrations: Birthdays, Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, and 4th of July, were sacred events in the Watts home. Cards, slumber parties, Easter baskets, gathering together, decorations, Irish food, stories, laughter, love, wearing red, white, and blue were nonnegotiable. She made every person involved feel special. Making special moments was her superpower and will continue in the lives of her children and grandchildren.

Mary Ellen loved being a grandmother and took every opportunity to love on and support her seven grandkids. She built special and meaningful relationships with each one of them and showed up for them on birthdays, special events, and in everyday life. She would light up in their presence and that happened until the day she died. Butterfly and Eskimo kisses always. Love you to the moon and back…oodles and gobs, gobs and oodles!

Her sunshine smile, loving ways, faithful living, and tireless dedication as wife, mother, grandmother, colleague, neighbor, and friend will be missed beyond measure.

Mary Ellen was preceded in death by her husband, John Watts. She is survived by her four daughters: Shawn Watts Descourouez (Lance), Sheri Brown, Kathleen Gregory (Joseph), Colleen Stephens (Dale); and her seven grandchildren: Andrew John Descourouez, Mary Grace Watts Descourouez, Erin Nunez (Travis), Audrey Brown, John Patrick Stephens, Riley Stephens, and Delanie Stephens.

Services will take place at St. Mary Star of the Sea Roman Catholic Church, located at 609 Pier View Way, Oceanside 92054. A Rosary will be recited from 10:00-10:30 am followed by a Mass of Resurrection starting at 11:00 am. After Mass, join the family for a luncheon at Coomber Craft Wines and share a memory or story about Mary Ellen.

Donations in Mary Ellen’s honor can be made to St. Mary Star of the Sea.