Ansley Watson

WATSON, Ansley, 93, passed away Monday, April 3, 2006. Born January 8, 1913, in Iva, S.C., he moved to Tampa during World War II. He was predeceased by his loving wife of 59 years, Jane Price Watson, whom he met when he was commandant of the 488th Bomb Group at MacDill Air Force Base during World War II; his sister, Virginia Watson Masters of Anderson, S.C.; his brother, John Ernest Watson of Sarasota; and many, many good friends. He was a cum laude graduate of Davidson College, from which he received a Bachelor of Science gree in math and physics in 1933, former assistant to the president of United Air Lines, and a colonel in the U.S. Army Air Corps. After the war, he worked briefly with his father-in-law, Charles M. Price, and later spent 26 years with Lykes Pasco, Inc., retiring as vice president of marketing. He is survived by his sons, Ansley Watson Jr., and wife, Elaine, of Odessa, and Charles Price Watson of Tampa; daughters, M'Lisse W. Ramsey, and husband, Richard, of West Palm Beach, Fla., and Ann W. DeBellevue of Bradenton; grandchildren, Alexandra Watson Senise and Ansley Watson III, of Reynolds, Ga., Anna Margaret Watson Griggs of Tampa, Alyssa Ann Watson of Tampa, Saul Dolgin of Miami, Fla., Rebecca and Leeann Ramsey of West Palm Beach, and Brian and Jonathan DeBellevue of Bradenton; great-grandchild, Miles Owen Griggs; close family friend, whom he and his wife considered a son, W. Eugene Gillespie, and wife, Lori, of Baltimore, Md.; and many nieces and nephews. Ansley was a member of the Order of Daedalians, America's premier fraternal organization of U.S. military pilots, Tampa Yacht and Country Club and the ROMEOS (Retired Old Men Eating Out), former president of the Downtown Tampa Rotary Club, former elder of First Presbyterian Church of Tampa, and former member of Palma Ceia Golf and Country Club and Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla. Ansley first flew the day of his graduation from Davidson College and had a love affair with aviation as a pilot for 50 years. He and Jane traveled extensively in his Beechcraft Bonanza for many years, and loved their former home in the mountains of Cashiers, N.C. He loved his many good friends and was always ready with a good story. Active pallbearers will be Ansley Watson III, Saul Dolgin, Thomas Griggs, Brian DeBellevue, Jonathan DeBellevue and W. Eugene Gillespie. Honorary pallbearers will be A.S. "Sandy" Moffett, Don M. Stichter, Joseph A. Savarese, retired Lt. Gen C.C. Rogers, retired Maj. Gen. Clyde Box, William C. Crowder, A. Byrne Litschgi, Thomas McKell, M.D., Kent R. Corral, M.D., Leffie M. Carlton Jr., M.D., Leffie M. Carlton III, M.D., Stephen L. Corcoran and Peter Kelly. The family will receive friends 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 6, 2006, at Blount ' Curry Funeral Home, 605 S. MacDill Ave., Tampa. A memorial service will take place at 11 a.m. Friday, April 7, 2006, at First Presbyterian Church of Tampa, 412 E. Zack St., in downtown Tampa, with the Rev. W. Fitz Conner officiating. Burial will follow at Myrtle Hill Memorial Park, 4207 E. Lake Ave. (off 56th Street), Tampa. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Lifepath Hospice, 3010 W. Azeele St., Tampa, FL 33609, or to a charity of your choice.