Dr. Craig William Watson

1949 - 2021

WATSON, Dr. Craig William

b.1/19/1949 - d.12/24/2021

The world lost a tremendous force for good on December 24, 2021, with the unexpected passing of Dr. Craig William Watson. Born January 19, 1949, in St. Paul, Minnesota to Percy Theodore Watson Jr. and Jeanne Winsor Watson, Craig grew up in the Twin Cities with his siblings Janet, Bruce, and Laurel, enjoying ski trips to Colorado, covert drive-in movie adventures, fishing with friends, and many more experiences before attending the University of Colorado as an undergraduate and then the University of Minnesota for medical school. He started his own medical practice in Golden, Colorado, in 1981 where he was the primary care physician to generations of families before retiring in 2008. He and his wife, Deborah Louchheim Watson, moved to Tucson, Arizona soon thereafter. Besides his wife and sisters, Craig is remembered by Felicia Naranjo Martinez, the birth-mother of his three sons, Ian (Lauren), Ryan (Vanessa), and Alex (Claudia), his seven grandchildren, countless friends and family members, and two dogs, Zane and Winnie.

Besides his 79 at Pebble Beach, Craig's most talked about accomplishment on the golf course was his eagle on Canyon #7, which he repeatedly reminded anyone who golfed with him when playing that hole. His thundering laughter, wonderful sense of humor, ability to light up a room, connect and chat with anyone, and insistence that sitting in the front row was worth every penny will be dearly missed. He collected fun, fine art that he gave away frequently to children and adults alike. One of his favorite traditions was to go around the table and have everyone say one thing that they were thankful for before each meal. In this moment, we are most thankful and grateful for all the love he shared and infused into the universe. Our lives have been forever changed by Craig.

A Service was held to celebrate his life in Tucson, Arizona, on Sunday, January 2, 2022. In place of sending flowers or gifts, contributions in Craig's memory may be made to the Watson Family Donor Advised Fund held at the Jewish Community Foundation Southern Arizona, 3718 E. River Road, Ste 118, Tucson, AZ, 85718 Jcftucson.org

Please know that in doing so, his sons, Ian, Ryan, and Alex, will then be able to designate the recipient organization(s) in honor of their late father. Arrangements by EVERGREEN MORTUARY.