Gary Watson

KANE-  Gary Carlyle Watson, 70, died at 4:35 p.m., Friday, August 17, 2013 at the home of his Greg in Carrollton, IL., after a short battle with pancreatic cancer.Gary was born in Columbia, Mo., on Sept. 20, 1942, and was the son of the late Carroll & Mildred (Nichols) Watson.Gary was a journalist at heart, and at the age of 14, he published his first magazine and named it "Smash".  Through the years, Gary published various other magazines covering numerous genres, including a nightclub magazine called "The Scene", a teen mag called "You", and a race car mag, named "Action Country".Gary enjoyed people and interacting with all.  He enjoyed the movie industry, and worked as an Ass't Manager at Loew's Theatre in downtown St. Louis, was employed as an usher at BAC Theatres in Collinsville, and served in the advertising department at BAC Theatres in Belleville.  He also opened a teen club called "The Attic" in O'Fallon, Il., and  served as a foster parent through the Children's Home and Aid Society of Illinois, and was a surrogate parent for the State Board of Education.In 1977 life took him in a different direction, and he enrolled in school to become a minister.  His first stop was at the Girard Church of Christ, and eventually ministered at churches in Jerseyville, Carrollton and Jacksonville and Pana.He served on the board of the Greene County Housing Authority and had previously served as Chairman at one time.Surviving are a son, Gregory A. Watson of Carrollton; two grandsons, Tyler & Jeremy Watson of Carrollton; two sisters, Vikki Hamann of Belleville and Tania Wallace of St. Louis, Mo.; two nieces, Lysa Bruton of Ozark, Mo. and Tara Calton of Springfield, Mo.; two nephews, Jerrid Hamann of Allen, Tx., and Brandon Wallace of St. Louis; a great nephew, Nicholas Vallor; two great nieces, Charlotte Hamann and Leah Calton; and a great great nephew, Isaiah Vallor.He was preceded in death by his father, Carroll Watson; and his mother, Mildred (Nichols) Schuessler.At his request his body has been cremated.A memorial visitation will take place on Thursday from 4 p.m., until time of memorial services at 6 p.m., at the Crawford Funeral Home in Jerseyville.Burial of his ashes will take place on Friday at the Memorial Park Cemetery in Columbia, MO.Memorials may be given to the Church of the Nazarene in Jerseyville, where he currently was a member

Obit Provided By:
Crawford Funeral Home