Mary Ruth Watts

Mary Ruth Cunningham Watts was born on July 16, 1949, at the ACH Hospital in Shawnee, Oklahoma, her parents Frank Harvey Cunningham and Nancy Julia Elizabeth Powell Cunningham, both also of Shawnee, Oklahoma. Mary returned Home to the Lord, her husband and family on the 29th of July 2026.

She was married for 42 years to George Bryant Watts, an Officer and Air Force Command Pilot from Boston, Massachusetts. George and Mary had one son, George Bryant Watts Jr. Mary graduated from Wewoka High School in 1967 and attended the University of Oklahoma followed by a year at East Central State College of Ada. She graduated for the first time from the University of New Hampshire in 1977 with a degree in Small Business Administration. She received a second Bachelor’s Degree in Natural Health from Clayton College years later. She also earned a post-graduate Paralegal Certification from Denver Paralegal Institute specializing in probate, wills and estates and military divorce law.

Mary was fond of saying she had moved more than 40 times in this life and kept a list of all those places, citing that she must have been born a true nomad. Her enthusiasm for change in life was evident to anyone who knew her, and made her a nearly perfect military wife, able to move on a few days’ notice and embrace every new location that George’s job might take them. She considered all their moves as great adventures. With her broad educational and work background Mary always found a job wherever they lived. She was a stewardess for American Airlines before her marriage, spent years working in banks and law firms as an executive secretary and later as a paralegal. In between the longer-term office jobs Mary worked as a newspaper distribution supervisor, computer hardware consultant and newspaper reporting covering the 1976 New Hampshire Presidential primary as well as events surrounding the Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant protests and the Clamshell Alliance.

She spent several years working for the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce as an executive assistant in the Governmental Affairs Department where she organized and helped produce very large military, social and civic events, often for over 1200 people and often for visiting foreign dignitaries and world leaders. She was a member of several professional organizations, earned the title of Certified Professional Secretary, and was a member of the NALA paralegal certification program. She was nominated for and selected as an Outstanding Young Woman of American in 1986 by the Jaycees International.

She always considered herself a non-commissioned officer, the sergeant of the family and marriage, with George as their commander. Mary made most of the geographic moves herself while George remained on duty. The couple worked shoulder to shoulder for over 20 years building and enjoying a small Morgan horse breeding farm in Colorado. They were life-long members of the 1928 Episcopal/Anglican tradition. Mary was a member of the altar guild, ECW, and both of them served in various vestry capacities in the parishes they attended.

Mary is survived by her son, George Bryant Watts Jr., his wife Talisha Renae Watts, granddaughters Elizabeth Renae and Kristyna Anne Watts, and grandson Lukas Ryan Watts. As well as her beloved cousins, Susan and Steve Schwarm of Wrentham, Massachusetts and niece Mireille Green.

Interment will be held at the National Cemetery, Fort Sill, Oklahoma on the 24th of July at 11am. She will be buried alongside her loving husband George Watts, USAF, LtCol. (Ret.). In lieu of flowers Mary requests donations in her memory to the Anglican Church of the Holy Cross or the USO veterans’ organization.

It is impossible to separate Mary’s memory from George’s. God bless them both. She is where she has most wished to be, back at George’s side and ready for their next big adventure!