Robert Osmand Watson

Robert Osmand Watson September 1 1930 – November 22 2023 Robert Osmand Watson left us on November 22nd, carried away by cancer at the age of ninety-three. What remains for those who knew him are warm memories of calm good humour and faithfulness to those whose friendship he so treasured. Ozzie was born into a large family headed by William Osmand Watson and Lena Wilson in the southwest New Brunswick village of McAdam. Among his siblings he is survived only by Eddie Watson, along with many nieces and nephews. He retained daily contact with Eddie, who still lives in McAdam and who will ensure that his ashes are buried in the family plot. It seemed obvious that his first job would be with Canadian Pacific Railways, since McAdam was an important rail hub. In working there he was following in his father’s footsteps, like so many others in that community. He was well regarded and soon found himself promoted to the CPR office in St. John, and further to the accounting office in Montreal headquarters, where he worked for many contented years before being transferred to Toronto. He combined skill in numbers with love for baseball by tracking individual player statistics for a team sponsored by Continental Can Company. Childhood polio kept him from playing, but his enthusiasm for the sport never dimmed. He was deeply touched when players presented him with a team jacket that he kept for the rest of his life. He also loved dogs, and for many years had either Pepper or Jasper keeping him company at home. While in Montreal he met John Zeemel and his wife Gladys (Rigaud), and through them he developed affectionate ties to their daughters, now living in Toronto. He was god-father to Cynthia and embraced her whole family (partner Kristian Harris and kids Jack, Alexia, and Mason). The same was true with Nathalie, her partner Frank Teixeira, and their children Caetano and Lina. They all embraced him as fully a part of their family. During that time he also ran into Jerry and Louise Lazette at a piano bar, and from that came an enduring friendship. They shared an enthusiasm for sports and spent every Thanksgiving together for fifty-eight years. They too will miss Oz greatly. There are close friends who Ozzie got to know once in Toronto who will also now have a gap in their lives, including Hal Noble, John Garrick, and Peter Dudar. After his retirement he developed warm ties to Anthony Bartlett and his family, meeting many of them in trips to Newfoundland. This included Tony’s mother Nancy and siblings Bert, Barry, and Jodi (who lives with her husband Travis in Alberta), his daughters Kayla and Cecilia, their partners Waltie and Gerald, and their kids Payton, Neveah and Noah. Ozzie came from a large family and then created families of his own. He warmed those friendships with his unfailing interest in what they were up to, his deep caring for their welfare, and his laughter. He was irreplaceable and leaves behind great sadness alongside countless good memories.

Robert Osmand Watson

November 22, 2023