|
Harry Carl Watson, 86, of Spokane, Washington died surrounded by family August 30th, 2020. Harry was born July 6, 1934, to Florence B. (Putnam) and Harry T. Watson in Spokane, Washington. He graduated from West Valley High School in 1952 and was recruited as the first freshman member of the traveling basketball team at Gonzaga University where he would play from 1952 to 1956. He was also voted MVP by the Gonzaga University Alumni Association in 1956; basketball was one of his passions, second only to fishing. Harry proudly served in the U.S. Army Reserves for another two years. He wed Jodine Woodard in January of 1960, who gave him three children: Bill, Julie, and Harry Wallace Watson.
After 34 years of teaching mathematics and earth science while coaching various sports at Mead Junior High School in Mead, Washington, he retired in 1993 to the family lake cabin on Hauser Lake in Idaho, where he spent the remainder of his life. In his very active retirement, Harry spent time coaching his grandchildren in Basketball. He was an avid fisherman and hunter and instilled those skills in his son and grandchildren. He was known as “Hauser Harry” and a member of the Post Falls VFW.
He is preceded in death by his eldest son, Bill. He is survived by his wife, Jodine Watson, his son, Wally (Lynette) Watson, and his daughter, Julie Coniconde. His sisters, Peggy (John) Leeney and Pat Reese, and caretaker friend Bruce Arnold. He also leaves behind his grandchildren, Toshick, Chandler and Hunter Watson. And David and Michael Coniconde.
Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, September 19, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. at the Watsons’ Lake Cabin on Hauser Lake in Idaho. In Harry’s words, “Hug the kids for me.”
Spokesman-Review September 6, 2020.
|
Chris Coffman
He could wield a mean hack paddle. He was quite the imposing figure. But if you didnt deserve one you didnt get one. And one was always enough! :) Always funny as in good humored, always enlightening as a teacher.Tom Mateer
Okay, I have a Harry Watson hack paddle story to tell. I was in his class doing something "not right" and he called me out and told me go into the hall to get hacked. I was ashamed and terrified. Once in the hallway he told me to stop doing whatever it was I was doing. He said he was going to hit is own foot with the paddle and I was to go back in such a way to make everyone think I'd been hacked. I was not allowed to say anything about it, ever. I said okay. He proceeded to smack his foot so hard it filled up the whole hallway with a sound like a gun going off. I put on a scared, hurt look (which wasn't hard to do at all) and went back in, thankful that I didn't actually receive the blow. I never did anything warranting a "hack" from him again.
Jon Rasmussen
...and from what I remember, Tom, he had pretty big feet!
I actually thought about adding a comment about Mr. Watson's prodigious reputation as the hardest hacker at Mead, but hesitated, and glad you guys did. From what I recall, getting one from him was like a badge of honor -to the twisted world of a teenage guy. (Our parents of course would consider it a badge of dishonor).
PS: I am a recipient of this badge, but through a third party source. I had acted out in a class other than his, and as you recall some teachers "farmed out" the hacking task to others, and I drew the Watson Straw that day.