Norma Constance (Connie) Smith Watson, 91, died Wednesday, April 10, 2013 in Fitzgerald.
Born October 16, 1921 to the late James Thomas and Norma Alice Griffin Smith, Connie graduated from Fitzgerald High School in 1939 and attended secretarial school before becoming a legal secretary. She moved to Washington, DC and was employed by the US Department of Labor. Shortly after her return to Fitzgerald, she met and married Frank Edwin Watson in March 1943. She later worked as a writer, editor, and public relations consultant in Albany and Fitzgerald. For several years, Connie was on the staff of the Albany Chamber of Commerce and was involved in the founding of the Albany Pecan Festival in the early 1970s. She retired from the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Albany in 1981. Throughout her life she enjoyed writing poetry, and her many other talents included floral design, cooking, sewing, and photography. As the Albany Area Correspondent for the Atlanta Journal and Constitution, she enjoyed traveling around South Georgia and North Florida covering news stories. She became a skilled photographer, and she and Frank owned a photography studio in Fitzgerald where she especially loved portrait photography and framing. A teacher at heart, Connie taught courses in such diverse topics as fire safety, defensive driving and word processing, in addition to many years of teaching Sunday school to both children and adults.
Following their years in Albany, Connie and Frank returned home to Fitzgerald in 1983. She was an administrative assistant to the general manager of Fitzgerald Water Light & Bond for several years and wrote the WL&B annual review for The Herald Leader. She also wrote many feature stories on local residents for The Herald Leader. Connie was a long-time member of Central United Methodist Church, where she was active in the United Methodist Women and the Golden Believers Sunday School Class, which she taught for several years.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 54 years, as well as four brothers, Lawson, David, Victor and Robert Griffin Smith; and three sisters, Nell Owens, Betty Marsh and Mary Eunice Smith.
She is survived by two daughters, Anne (John) O’Connor of Fitzgerald and Carol (Fred) Miller of Jacksonville, FL; one son, Keith (Carol) Watson of Marietta; one brother, Gerald (Betty) Smith of Maryville, TN; one sister, Tommie Nichols of Fitzgerald; seven grandchildren: Shannon and Erin O’Connor, Brian and Steven (Jessica) Watson, Ted (Mary Claire) Miller, Nathan (Kat) Miller, and Matt (Leah) Miller; nine great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. She is also survived by a close friend and caregiver, Jackie (Dan) Weldon of Ocilla, two sisters-in-law, Elke (Marchmon) Howell and Shirley Watson; and a brother-in-law, William Marsh.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, April 13, at 11 a.m. at Central United Methodist Church with the Rev. Keith Goodlett and the Rev. John O’Connor officiating. Music will be provided by Becky Anderson, pianist; Shannon O’Connor, flutist; and Erin O’Connor and Drew Massee, vocalists. Interment will follow in the family burial ground at Evergreen Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 7-9 Friday evening in the Chapel of The Paulk Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be Steven Watson, Jeremy Martin, Ted Miller, Nathan Miller, Matt Miller, and Sam Garland III. Honorary pallbearers were Brett Martin and Blaine Layfield. Also seated together will be members of the Golden Believers Sunday School Class and the staff of Life Care Center and Blue-Gray Community Hospice.