Obituary: Helen Virginia Jones Watson

Helen Virginia Jones Watson — Born July 1, 1927, in her home on Main Street and First Avenue in Windermere, Florida. Died on March 30, 2016, in Madison, Florida, where she was moved to be near family members the last month of her life.

She resided at Golden Pond Community in Winter Garden, Florida, for several years. Helen grew up in Windermere, Florida, and graduated from Ocoee High School in 1945. She went on to Florida State College for Women and received a degree in teaching and home economics. She was an active member of the sorority Alpha Xi Delta. Helen met Frank Watson in ninth grade, and they were married in 1949.

Helen received her Masters in Education at the University of Florida in 1956. Helen taught in Chiefland, Florida, Windermere Elementary School, Boone High School and Lakeview High School and then became a principal at Tildenville Elementary, Dillard Street Elementary and finally Mollie E. Ray Elementary, where she retired in 1983 after 32 years in the Orange County School System.

Following her retirement, she and Frank spent 25 years as snowbirds between Topton, North Carolina, and Ocoee, Florida. She loved playing bridge and was an active member of the Pine Hills Bridge Club since the early 1950s. She had a passion for cooking, and her family reaped the rewards of that. She probably had the largest collection of cookbooks in West Orange County. A frequent saying was “eat what you want and leave the rest” when meals were served and tummies full.

Those preceding her in death were her parents, Richard and Annabelle Jones; her in-laws, Darrel Watson and Jesse Dunlap; her husband (62 years) Frank Watson; her brothers, Paul Jones, Donald Jones and Chester Jones; brothers-in-law Lawrence Watson and Sherwood Watson; and her sisters-in-law, Dorothy Perdue Jones, Catherine Seagraves Jones and Barbara Watson Moffat.

Helen leaves behind her brother, Bobby (Drucilla) Jones of Jonesboro, AK; her sons, Frank (Becky) Watson II of Greenville, Florida, and Arthur (Susan) Watson of Archer, Florida; her grandchildren, Ian (Amy) Watson of San Marcos, California, Christa Watson and partner John Jordan of Latham, New York, Erin Ludwig, Callie Ludwig and Alexandra Ludwig of Archer, Florida; and great-grandchildren, Emily Watson and Adrian Watson of San Marcos, California.

Funeral services and interment will take place at Woodlawn Funeral Home in Gotha, Florida at 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 6. There will be a viewing at 10 a.m. prior to services. A reception will follow at Woodlawn Funeral Home, 400 Woodlawn Cemetery Road, Gotha, Florida 34734; 407-293-1361. Condolences may be offered at woodlawnfuneralhomegotha.com.