Plan for the Future
Richard White Watson Jr., 88 of New Providence, NJ passed away on July 12th.
Richard was born in Indiana, PA to Richard White Watson Sr. and Jeanne Naomi Stober on April 13th, 1933. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, AJ (Franklin) and his children Greg (Jill), Lawrence, and Gail (Andrew) Haines as well as by 5 grandchildren: Richard (Lauren), Ryan, Sean, Madeline, and Spencer.
Richard was a veteran of the Korean War serving in the Medical Corps of the US Army and continued to serve his country in the Army National Guard until 1978, achieving the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University in 1959 and later earned both a Master of Science degree in 1961 and a PhD degree in 1964 from Rutgers University.
Dr. Watson worked as Clinical Director for National Health Laboratories and later for Laboratory Corporation of America as Quality Assurance Director for a total of over 30 years, retiring in 2003. Through his long and distinguished career, he was especially proud of his work developing new procedures for testing drug trials. He also maintained an affiliation with several professional associations and was ultimately recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Scientists for dedication, achievements, and leadership in microbiology and chemistry. Richard was a true lifelong learner, always curious about the new and the old, approaching everything with an open mind. The example he has set in this regard will serve as part of his legacy as he has inspired his friends and family to follow his example.
Richard was an avid Civil War buff as his children can attest, having hiked through many a battlefield. He was also an amateur genealogist. He had a passion for researching and documenting his family history with a special focus on ensuring those relatives that served in the military were duly recognized. He loved connecting with distant cousins, found many that shared his enthusiasm and eventually co-authored a detailed manuscript of one branch of his family. During his retirement, Richard had the good fortune to be able to travel the globe extensively with his wife A.J. They were able to visit many diverse places and he, of course, made it a point to document his experiences with photographs and notes that were shared with family and friends.
