Obituary for Edward Thomas Watts ………….

By | January 5, 2019

Submitted by the Marianna Chapel Funeral Home ————–

Edward Thomas Watts, age 90, of Merritt Island, Florida , formerly of Alford, Florida passed away on Friday, January 4, 2019 . He was born in Grand Ridge, Florida on February 20, 1928 to the late Edward Rainey and Flossie Myrle Watts. Edward worked and retired from the Federal Aviation Administration after thirty-one years of service. He served in the United States Army Air Force during WWII and the Korean War.


Edward is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He worked tirelessly on his family’s genealogy and loved helping others find their own ancestors as well, but his greatest enjoyment was witnessing to the prisoners at ACI and Malone Correctional Facilities.


He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Audrey Watts; sisters, Elle Mae Childs and Doris Virginia Branch.


Edward is survived by his wife, Geraldine Watts; children, Edward Thomas Watts Jr., John Franklin Watts (Julie), Jessie Randal Watts (Lori), Robert Alexander Watts (Cheryl), Barry LaGrand Watts, , and Tracey Janae Cline (Jayson); stepchildren, Edward Benjamin Rickers (Celeste), Terry Meyers (Becky), James Henry Rye, Gwydian Stone (Trinity), Elizabeth Jean Rye, and Ruth Renae VanWhy (Nick); sisters, Gwen Louise Burch (Lafayette) and Sallie Myrle Gable (Richard). He is also survived by nineteen grandsons, twelve granddaughters, and twenty-two great grandchildren.


Funeral services will be held at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 12, 2019 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Marianna with Bishop Mark Sims officiating. A time of visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on January 11, 2019 in the Marianna Chapel Funeral Home.

Marianna Chapel Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Expressions of sympathy may be submitted on line at www.mariannachapelfh.com.