James M. Watson

James (Jim) Watson was born to Reese Bullock and James Henry Watson on June 26, 1918 in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. He was their only child.

Jim was a bright, ambitious and athletic youngster who excelled in school even though he lost both parents before his fifteenth birthday. After living on his own for some time, he was taken in by his best friend’s mom, Roberta Montgomery, lovingly referred to by his children as “Grandma Bert.”  Jim graduated from Brockton High in 1937 and in the fall, on a full track scholarship, entered Agricultural and Technical State University (A&T) in Greensboro, North Carolina where he received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering.

It was here that he first met Eugenia Baskerville from Bridgeport, Connecticut and it was love at first sight. They were married on April 28, 1943 while Jim was on leave from active duty.

In 1942 Jim enlisted in the Army Air Force. He received his pilot’s training in the Cadet Corps in Tuskegee, Alabama and became a fighter pilot serving in Italy until he was grounded with personal health issues. He proudly served our country as a TUSKEGEE AIRMAN.

While on active duty, Jim and Eugenia were blessed with one son, James Jr.

During his tenure with the armed forces, Jim received the Good Conduct Medal; Victory Medal; American Theater Campaign Ribbon and the European African Middle Eastern Theater Campaign Ribbon.

In 1945 he earned an honorable discharge from the armed services.

Upon his return to the states, Jim and Eugenia settled in Boston with their son James Jr. to resume a long life together (52 years). They were blessed with three more sons, Richard (who died shortly after birth), Donald and Charles.

By trade, Jim was an electrical engineer which served him well in his capacity as a research scientist working at MIT’s Draper Laboratory in Cambridge, MA where he continued to serve his country by working on several NASA projects.

After his retirement from Draper Lab in 1986, Jim and Eugenia enjoyed cruises to the Caribbean where they enjoyed every moment. Dancing was a favorite pastime. He enjoyed taking Eugenia for a spin on the dance floor and continued to enjoy dancing long after Eugenia died.

Those who knew Jim understood his passion for family first. One could often find him working on his own home or helping his children upgrade theirs. Any given evening you might also find him building some gadget that might help a grandchild understand a science project, or explaining why education is so important.

Christmas decorations were his favorite passion and if you drove past his house in February, you could still see his Christmas lights burning.

Jim is survived by his three sons James Jr. and his wife Margaret of Brockton, Donald of Taunton and Charles (Charlie) of Brockton; five grandchildren Lori, Stacy, Jaimee, Michael, and Ian; two great grandchildren, Demetri and Asya.

Visiting hours will be held at the Central United Methodist church, 65 west Elm St. Brockton ma 02301  on Monday September 19th 2016 from 9:00AM-11:00 AM. A Funeral service will follow at 11:00AM. Burial will take place at Melrose Cemetery, Brockton MA. For directions or to leave an online condolence, please visit www.mackinnonfuneralhomes.com. Arrangement done by the Sampson-Hickey-Grenier Funeral Home.

 Service Information