Mildred Watson

May 23, 1932 - December 22, 2020 Mildred Watson, aged 88, died peacefully in her sleep on Tuesday December 22, 2020 at UCLA Medical Center Santa Monica. She was born May 23, 1932 in Greenwood, Mississippi and lived in Cypress, California for 53 years. In her youth, she decided that she would rise above her station without losing her connection or commitment to her roots in Greenwood. She received her Bachelor's of Science degree from Tougaloo College, three Masters of Science degrees from Ohio State University, California State University, Fullerton, and Claremont McKenna College. She received her PhD in education from Claremont McKenna College. Mildred worked as a biology teacher and later a college counselor at Roosevelt High School in Gary, Indiana, Manuel Arts High School in Los Angeles, and Los Alamitos High School. She finished her career as a student-teacher supervisor at California State University, Dominguez Hills. Beloved by all, she has been a staple of her Cypress community for decades. She was very active in the St. Irenaeus Church, Links Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., 100 Black Women of Orange County, and several other charity organizations. She was a beacon of light in this world, greatly impacting the lives of all those around her. Her spirit and memory will continue in each and every one of those touched by her greatness. She was passionate about education as a means for betterment, and her children and grandchildren are living out her legacy. She is survived by her loving husband of 59 years, Edward, her two children, Dr. Karol Watson MD, PhD and Keith Watson, three of her seven siblings, her nieces and nephews in Memphis, Tennessee and Greenwood, Mississippi, and her four grandchildren, Georgetown graduate Afton Branche-Wilson, Miami University student Logan Branche, and Stanford University students Kaycee and Corrie Branche. We ask that you send your prayers to her family and live life with kindness in your heart, as Mildred would have wanted.