Obituary of Jean Kathryn Watson

Graveside services for Jean K. Watson of Tyler will be at 10:00 am, Saturday, October 6, 2018 in the Overton City Cemetery with Pastor Rodney McDuff officiating. Burial will be in the Overton City Cemetery in Overton.

Jean K. Watson went to be with the Lord on September 29, 2018 at the age of 89. Born in South Bend Indiana, she spent her childhood in Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin and Alabama. She moved to Texas in 1945.

Jeans passions were her Lord, her family, her pets, her career and great friends. Traveling was a great joy she shared with her family. The family has many memories of Six Flags, Galveston, baseball, and football. Jean served as cub scout leader and enjoyed roller-skating. As the children grew, they took vacations to Ireland, Bermuda, Italy and many other places.

Jean had a long and rewarding professional life beginning with Gulf State United Telephone Co (Sprint) in Overton. She worked in Athens, Tyler and Palestine. After retirement from Sprint, she worked as a Training Consultant for Kaset International for twelve years, which took her all over the United States and internationally for training purposes. During the same time she was president of Watson and Associates, a consulting firm, where she delivered Professional Speakers Camps for Success Works.She designed and delivered “How To Be a Successful Consultant” and also delivered work shops on ““How To Be a Successful Professional Speaker”.

While living and working in East Texas she was a member of the Tyler Chamber of Commerce’s first Leadership Tyler class of1986-87, and after which she served on their curriculum committee from 1987-88.

Jean was president of the Tyler American Business Women’s Association. She was selected to the Leadership Texas Annual Program. Her honors include being named “Outstanding Single Parent of the Tyler Area” by parents without partners, East Texas area chapter. She served as Chair Woman on the Tyler Women’s Commission and served on the Tyler Civil Service Commission. She was program chair for Texas Civil Service Commission. She was program chair for Texas State Leadership Program and president of a Tyler Toastmasters Group. Jean was also on the Texas State Board of Directors of the American Heart Association and was recognized by former Texas Governor Bill Clements, Jr. and Kansas Senator Bob Doyle for her volunteer services.

Jean was active nationally as well. She had articles published from her speaking engagements throughout the United States. She was a speaker for the Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals. She organized and served as President for the East Texas chapter of American Society for Training and Development, where she spoke at national conferences and served on their national board of directors. She had articles published in their National Journal. She was quoted in The Creative Communicator by Barbara Glanz, and also in Success Abilities by teaching, reading and cooking. She taught Sunday school at the First Baptist and Wood Baptist Church in Tyler.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Thomas and Rachel Noonan and her daughter, Patricia Gipson.

Her surviving children and their spouses, Robert Anderson Jr. and Christie  Gipson of Mt. Pleasant, Thomas Lee and Gail Gipson of Overton and Joseph Alan and Jill Gipson of Tyler; six grandchildren, Melinda and Paul Stephens of Keller, Thomas Lee Gipson and Fiancée Charlotte of West Palm Beach, Florida, Corby and Kathy Gipson of Overton, Kelly and Susan Meek of New Waverly, Melissa and Chris Turner of Decatur, Indiana and Erica and Bryan Yosten of Paris; one sister, Sally Thomason of Memphis; and two nieces and one nephew. She leaves behind one very loved little furry Pomeranian, Ginger Bear.

Memorials may be made to The Humane Society Pets Fur People, 1823 County Rd 386, Tyler, TX 75708

Romans 8:28

The family will recceive friends at the funeral home, Friday, October 5, 2018 from 6:oo pm to 8:00 pm.