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James Watson Obituary
65, passed away on November 24, 2024, surrounded by his family. He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Laurie (Rudowsky); his son, Brian (Danielle Herman); his daughter, Nicole (Jay Monti); his brothers, John (Nancy), Timothy (Roberta); his Rudowsky family of Sandy (Ed) Cibulka, Tom (Kris) Rudowsky, Debbie (Ken) Romanek, Michael (Michele) Rudowsky; along with nieces and nephews. He was a member of Espiritu Catholic Church in Safety Harbor, Florida. He grew up in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania and met Laurie while in high school. He earned a BS in Electrical Engineering from Penn State University and a MS in Engineering Management from the University of South Florida. Jim began his career at US Steel and moved to Florida in 1983 to work at Honeywell. He worked there 24 years supporting DoD navigation programs. He then took a Sr. Managers position at Sypris Electronics and finished his career at Kearfott Corporation in 2018. Jim was one of five Eagle Scouts in his family. He stayed active in scouting with the GTBAC serving in several positions including Scoutmaster of Troop 26 Palm Harbor, Council Camping Committee Chair and an Executive Board member.
Jim could never sit still. He enjoyed being on the go and exploring new places wherever he and Laurie went. He loved being outside, the water, and the beaches that you could only get to by boat, especially during retirement. He had his first boat in Florida before he had a place to live. A lot of good times were had over the years.
Jim battled AML since 2017 and lived every day to the fullest, as best he could. We want to thank his stem cell donor, Michael Lutz, from Germany, for his help in extending his life. We want to thank his doctors from Moffit Cancer Center, Dr Timothy Kubal and Dr. Asmita Mishra, and Dr. Jennifer Ball of Florida Cancer Specialists, for their care and kindness throughout his battle. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Be The Match, Moffitt Cancer Center or Friends of Troop 26, Palm Harbor, FL.
A Celebration of Jim's life will be held at 10 am on December 21, 2024 at Espiritu Santo Catholic Church.
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