Rosita L. Watson, died on March 13, 2019 at age 96, surrounded by her family and a wonderful staff of caregivers. She lived at White Oak Cottages in Westwood, MA. She was the daughter of Jessie (Means) Richmond and Arthur L. Richmond of Needham, MA. She attended Charles River School, Park School and Beaver Country Day School. In 1942, she married Donald C. Watson, and they remained happily married for 67 years until Don died in 2010. After Dons military service they settled in Needham. In 1953 they moved to Dedham, where they lived until moving to Fox Hill Village in Westwood in 2004.
Rosita was a skilled homemaker and kept very busy with many tasks including carpentry, painting, wallpapering, knitting and sewing, in addition to gardening, cooking, carpools and raising four children. She was a good shot and a capable horseback rider. A skilled seamstress and knitter of many hats and sweaters, she made many of her own clothes. She was a devoted wife and mother, supporting Dons career and accompanying him on many adventures from Newfoundland to the Bahamas and also to Western Europe and the Mediterranean in a series of boats. In these endeavors, Rosita and Don were a team on the truest sense, and their many sailing accomplishments were due to the effort and skill of each. Rosita loved to fish on many of their cruises, and while these fish made a tasty dinner, the guts on the deck caused great consternation to her husband. She personified pluck and often dove into icy waters to clear a fouled lobster pot line or retrieve a wayward dinghy. Later in life, she became an accomplished, mostly self-taught painter. She was direct in her manner and did not suffer fools, but had a lot of friends and volunteered extensively at the Dedham Womens Exchange and was, for many years, the head of the Flower Guild at St. Paul's Church in Dedham.
Rosita is survived by her daughter Pamela W. Sebastian and her husband John of San Francisco, California; her son Arthur R. Watson of Washington, DC; her son Donald C. Watson and his wife Ellen of South Dartmouth, Massachusetts; and her son Nathaniel F. Watson of Montreal, Que. She is also survived by grandchildren James Seitchick Sebastian and his wife Sarah of Petaluma, California, and their children Tabitha, Jakob and Bear; Rebeccah G. Watson and her wife, Cassandra Barnum of Washington, DC; Sarah J. Watson and her husband Oren Magid of Washington, DC; Nathaniel F. Watson and his wife Elenora of Dorchester, Massachusetts; and Caroline F. Watson and her husband Geir Bogen of Norfolk, Virginia. She also leaves behind her sisters Jessie R. Moore of Yarmouth, Maine, Nancy R. Blackett of Westwood, Massachusetts and Pamela R. Orr of Milford, Ohio. She was predeceased by her husband Don, her daughter-in-law Carol Golubock and her grandchild, Michael Bear Sebastian.
The family would like to thank the caregivers at White Oak Cottages and the private aids for the love and devotion they showed Rosita during the final months, days and hours of Rosita's long and very full life. A memorial service will be held at 11 AM at St. Paul's Church, 59 Court St. in Dedham on May 3. Donations may be made to St. Paul's Church and to the White Oak Cottages Appreciation Fund.
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