Clarence Watson

Clarence Collins "Doc" Watson passed away January 26, 2015 at the age of 86 at the UW Trauma Center in Madison, Wisconsin.
Born December 3rd, 1928, Doc grew up on a dairy farm in Geneseo, New York. He served in the Navy as a young man during the Korean War then went on to receive degrees in hotel and restaurant management from City College of San Francisco and the University of Denver. In addition to California and Colorado, through his career with Sky Chefs he also lived in Connecticut and back in his home state of New York. In 1962 he began a career in club management at Sunset Ridge Country Club in Northbrook, Illinois, where he served for 20 years while raising his family. He later went on to manage the Tokyo American Club in Tokyo, Japan, as well as clubs in Milwaukee, Madison and Ann Arbor. Very recently he received recognition as a 50-year member of the Club Managers Association of America. After retirement, Doc and his wife Yuka traveled extensively across the country and around the world.
Doc was a highly curious and larger than life individual who loved to talk with anyone and would often tell you the life story of the people he encountered during his daily travels. He was always in motion and exercised daily. He drew inspiration from reading the "Daily Word" each day and learning about things he "found in the computer". He was a Freemason. He loved Japanese traditions, especially the quiet peace of a Japanese bath. Although he lived in many places and traveled the world, for the last 40+ years he always returned to his beloved lake house on Lauderdale Lakes in Elkhorn, Wisconsin.
He was the fifth and youngest child of the late John S. Watson and Elizabeth McMillan Watson. He is survived by his wife and companion of 28 years Yuka Kawara Watson and her family in Japan (parents Toshio and Takako, brother Kijuuro (Sachiyo) and nieces Tamaki and Hiroo), son Scott Watson (Meredith Alt) and daughter Jill Watson (Tom Williams) both of Madison, WI, sister Isabelle Rodwell and brother John "Bondy" Watson (both of the Rochester, NY area), 10 nieces and nephews, treasured friends Norm and Martha Eckstaedt, Victor Chigas, and Paul and Sonja Vangellow, along with many dear long-time friends across the country and around the world.
A celebration of Doc's life will be held on Saturday, March 28th at 1:00 PM at the Red Circle Inn in Nashotah, Wisconsin. More information to come at www.caringbridge.org/visit/clarence-docwatson . Memorial donations can be made to the Daily Word at www.unityonline.org or 800-248-6489.