Mary Joyce Watters

1932 - 2016

MARY JOYCE PULLIAM WATTERS February 11, 1932 - November 8, 2016 Mary Joyce (Pulliam) Watters, 84, of Chico passed away peacefully at the Windchimes assisted living facility on November 8th of pneumonia. She was born on February 11th, 1932 the daughter of Mabel (McGuire) and Roscoe Pulliam in Carbondale, Illinois. Mary was a devoted mother and wife as well as a teacher and community activist. A long time resident of Chico, Mary taught at many levels in the Chico Unified School district and previously taught at the Piedmont Unified School district and elsewhere, most extensively as a kindergarten teacher. She was active as a volunteer in many community activities and organizations including the League of Women Voters, the Cub Scouts, Head Start, the Chico Housing Improvement Project (CHIP), and as a board member in the Peppermint Palace Community Theatre. Mary was instrumental in the creation of the Chico Cooperative Nursery School. She believed in the power of local engagement, neighborliness, and generosity. Mary was an enthusiastic world traveller venturing to all the but one of the continents including Antarctica but excluding Australia. She was an extrovert, famous for throwing fabulous parties sometimes to the consternation of her more introverted husband who called them "Cecil B. DeMille productions." She built communities out of friendships. Mary lived her final four years at Windchimes suffering from dementia. She left us not all at once but over the course of several years. Mary is survived by her brother Wallace Pulliam of Arvada, Colorado, her two sons, and six grandchildren. Her son Aaron Watters lives in Highland Park, New Jersey, with his wife Nancy LaParo and they have three daughters Kendall LaParo, Jaclyn Watters, and Eleanor LaParo. Her son Ethan Watters lives in San Francisco, California, with his wife Rebecca Watters and their three children Cora, Tobias, and Penelope. Mary was predeceased by her husband Francis (Frank) Watters, her brother Robert Pulliam, and her sister Patricia (Pulliam) Powers. A memorial will be held on December 28 at 4 pm in Chico at Beatniks Cafe , 1387 E. 8th Street in Chico. RSVP at http://evite.me/n64g48GSUv.