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BORN
1933
DIED
2022
Barbara Watson Obituary
Growing up outside Boston, Barbara spent her childhood summers with her family in Little Compton. After spending several years abroad with her children in Switzerland and Germany she returned to live with her mother, Joan H. Watson in Hancock, New Hampshire.
Barbara attended Harvard's Graduate School of Design and upon graduation in 1975 she and Diane Kostial McGuire, also of Little Compton, established the firm McGuire and Watson, Landscape Architects and Site Planners. Together they designed residential and commercial gardens across the northeast, winning numerous awards for their work.
In 1971 Barbara permanently moved to Little Compton and resided there until December 2015. Her beloved cat Jack was also an active member of the Round Pond Road community and was recognized and known by local residents.
She relocated to California to spend the last chapter of her life being cared for by her daughter Lisa and her son-in-law Hassan Abbassi. This move also brought her close to her granddaughters, Julia Abbassi Pon and Sophia Abbassi Desquiron and their husbands Steven Pon and Alex Desquiron. She adored and was so happy to be a meaningful part of her great-grandchildren's lives, Oben and Esme Pon and Isabel Desquiron.
She had a keen eye and appreciation for beauty, inside and outside- surrounding herself with exquisitely designed gardens and filling her home with unique and beautiful things.
She loved nature in all its forms: mountains, oceans, forests, fields, gardens as well as birds and animals. Travel also played a large role in her life- from winter stays in Taxco, Mexico to late-in-life visits to the Grand Canyon and the Amalfi Coast.
A lover of gatherings large and small, Barbara was outgoing and the consummate host. Anyone who met her was struck by her grace and elegance in addition to her positivity and optimism. She will be remembered with love and admiration for the loyal and strong friendships she formed and the beautiful memories she created over a long and rich life.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Barbara Watson
2 Entries
Kate Thompson
November 7, 2022
This write-up of Barbara's life says it all. When at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard, Barbara was so much full of life, enthusiasm, kindness, creativity, and fun. She was very talented and usually came up with the best designs. She loved inviting our class to her place in Little Compton for many years after we all graduated. She so enjoyed being with everyone in our class and being a wonderfull hostess. I am so glad to hear how much she enjoyed being with her grandchildren and family in California. I have a great picture of Barbara at Dan and my wedding in 1982 which I would like to send to someone. She was a great woman.
Susan Howe
October 4, 2022
To Barbara's family:
I am a summertime Round Ponder and became fast friends with Barbara around 2005 after my father sat us together at a Sakonnet Preservation Assoc. meeting. I remember going to Newport with her to see The Inconvenient Truth and afterwards talking with her into the night. I have been in LC every summer since I was 4 years old and she then became one of the first people I would find when I arrived each summer. I have really missed her since she moved to CA and knew she wasn't well. I think of her every time I drive by her house on the road or the sweet cottages she cared for so well. I haven't been in LC since June this year as I have been in a 3 month trip across the country to the NW and back, so I missed her passing. Today I was thinking about her and found her here on Legacy. You wrote a lovely obituary and the photo captures her warmth and beauty. She was such a beautiful person and I am forever grateful for her friendship. I am holding all of you as your hearts heal from her loss. may we all find peace and joy in our memories of her. Sue Howe
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