Obituary of John W. Watkins

John W. Watkins, 81, passed away peacefully at home on August 18, 2019, after a long battle with dementia. Born December 7, 1937, in Mississippi, John was the son of Mike B. Watkins and Agnes Hinton Watkins. He was raised in the Rainey community of South Mississippi and graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with a Masters of Science in Physics and Mathematics. John retired from Harris Corporation after thirty years of service where he held the position of Engineering Manager of the Electro-optics department. John is survived by his wife of 62 years, Robbie Watkins, two daughters, Kay Hess (Dave) and Jill Miller (Dave), and four granddaughters, Cheney, Meleah, Jennifer, and Sarah. He also leaves behind a sister, Nelda Ulmer. John is preceded in death by a brother, Julian, and a sister, Jane. Local service will be held at Holy Apostles Episcopal Church in Satellite Beach, Florida, with a memorial gathering held in Mississippi. Memorial donations may be made online to the American Brain Foundation or to Holy Apostles Church. Online condolences can be make at beachfuneralhome.com.