Shirley L. Watson, 70, of Athens passed away Wednesday, February 19, 2025 at Ascension Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo.
A visitation will be held Tuesday, February 25, 2025 from 5:008:00 p.m. at Lighthouse Funeral & Cremation, 1276 Tate Trail, Union City, MI.
Following the visitation, Shirley will be cremated and will later be interred privately at Riverside Cemetery in Union City next to her son Craig Watson.
Shirley was born January 20, 1955 to Wallace and Doris (Clark) Stittsworth in Newton, Kansas. She graduated from Hays High School in Kansas. She has lived in Michigan since 1986.
She was married to Jay Watson for many years and they had three boys together. The remained friends after they divorced.
Shirley had attended St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Coldwater for several years. She lived in Union City for much of her adult life, but also lived in Three Rivers, and most recently Athens.
In addition to raising her family, Shirley also worked hard. She was the dietary manager at Marshall Nursing & Rehab and got her degree from Barton Community College while she worked there. Later on she bought the Magi Restaurant in downtown Colon and ran that from 2006-2009.
She had many hobbies and was very crafty. She enjoyed swimming, sewing, painting, telling Dad jokes, and sipping on her Biggby Coffee. She was kind, selfless, generous, passionate, and had a heart of gold. Her grandchildren were her life.
Unfortunately, Shirley became a Gold Star Mother in December 2005, when her son Craig Watson was killed in action during Operation Iraqi Freedom while serving in the Marine Corps in Iraq. Her journey through life was forever changed, as well as her family’s, when Craig’s life was taken. She was honored for her sacrifice for many years during the Union City Memorial Day parade.
Left to mourn Shirley’s passing are her children, James Deaton (Erica Hutsell) of Battle Creek, Kevin (Lori) Watson of Sherwood, and Brad (Laura) Watson of Athens; her grandchildren, Joshua Franklin, Evan Selby, Raygan Watson, Evelyn Watson, Nolan Watson, Joshua Allen, Travis Allen, Makenzi Emmel, and Brandon Emmel; great-grandchildren, Oliver Allen, Jovi Allen, and Emberlee Allen; her siblings, Trish Peterson of Chillicothe, MO, and Steve Stittsworth of KS; and her ex-husband, Jay Watson of Sherwood.
In addition to Shirley’s son Craig Watson and her parents, she was preceded in death by her infant son, Derek (1982); and her sisters, Margaret “Maggie” Goddard and Sue Marcotte.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Military Families United, P.O. Box 930073, Wixom, MI 48393 or online at https://gyve.io/give/mfu.
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