Paul F Watters

Paul Farr Watters passed away suddenly in mid September 2025 at the age of 70 in Helmsburg, IN after a recent surgery. Born in Ohio in 1955 to Howard and Audrey Watters, Paul is survived by his two children Scarlett Watters (Forrest) and Andrew Watters (Satomi) of Denver, CO; grandson Scott Hackney; siblings Sarah Greenlaw, Doc Watters, Anne Paterson and David Watters plus many nieces & nephews. Paul grew up in Fort Wayne, IN & graduated from Elmhurst High School before attending the University of Wisconsin where he graduated with a B.S. in Probability & Statistics completing his education at the University of Denver in pursuit of an MBA. He made many lifelong friends along the way. Paul excelled in sports, receiving a full ride scholarship for football at SMU & held the record for the fastest butterfly stroke in swimming. A lifelong chess player, he was the school chess champion in 1968-69, and had ongoing online chess games with his daughter & grandson, maintaining that he would never let them win and indeed they never won. Paul kept a file of his ideas for various inventions and he had a contagious sense of curiosity and wonder. He enjoyed playing poker, discussing theoretical physics, and listening to all types of music especially the blues, bluegrass, and anything with a harmonica. As the family standup comedian, he often had everyone laughing so hard that it hurt. He was taken too soon and is deeply missed. A memorial service will be held at The Beamery, 2082 SR-45 Morgantown, IN 46160 at 11:00am, November 15th, 2025. In lieu of flowers please send donations to the U.S. Chess Federation via new.uschess.org