On 16 Dec 1987, near his home in Covington, LA, Edwin Alexander Watson, Jr., died suddenly as a result of a heart attack while playing racquetball. Ed’s life was marked by exceptional accomplishment, both in his professional and avocational pursuits. At the time of his death, he was acting head of the Department of Veterinary Science of Tulane’s Delta Regional Primate Center in Covington, LA.
Ed was born in Ft. Clayton, Canal Zone, to Bess McEachin Watson and Edwin A. Watson, Sr., both of West Point, MS. Reared as a Regular Army child, Ed attended 18 different schools, ranging from preschool at Ft. Belvoir, VA, to high schools in Germany and Louisiana. From an early age, Ed was not only involved with books of all kinds but also developed a fascination for knives that later led to whittling and woodcarving. In his last year of high school, Ed entered a scholarship competition sponsored by the Ft. Polk Chapter of AUSA and won, defraying the cost of one year at the Bullis School before entering USMA.
Ed entered West Point with the Class of ’69. During his cadet days, Ed developed the reputation of a quiet, competent scholar who was always ready to give help to fellow classmates. Ed’s flair for music, especially on the guitar and banjo, was always a welcome boon to classmates. During an academy-sponsored educator visit, Ed met Mrs. Dorothy Smith, a State Supervisor of Guidance with Louisiana’s Department of Education from Baton Rouge, LA, who brought to her daughter, Carolee, news of a charming cadet with "a twinkle in his blue eyes." In the summer of 1968, Ed and classmate Hank Richmond traveled around the U.S. in a pickup truck—complete with mattress in the back—with the goal of being in Baton Rouge on the 4th of July to meet Carolee.
Ed graduated on 4 Jun 1969. He and several classmates received their oaths on Graduation Day from his father, COL Edwin A. Watson, Sr., near the Patton Monument. Ed was detailed for a year with Armor Branch before beginning duty with his chosen branch of Military Intelligence. After the Armor Basic Course, Ed and Carolee married, and embarked on their first tour of duty to Germany, where Ed’s command of the German language made the tour more interesting for Carolee. Following his tour in Mannheim, Ed was reassigned to Ft. Holobird, MD, where he began his MI duties. He attended Vietnamese language school in El Paso, TX, and was assigned to RVN in 1971-72.
Following his return from Viet Nam, Ed left active service and entered LSU to pursue a degree in veterinary medicine. Upon graduation as a DVM in 1978, Dr. Watson joined the staff of the Delta Regional Primate Center of Tulane University and also served as an associate professor at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine.
Shortly after settling into his new lifestyle, "Doc" Watson resumed his boyhood love of woodcarving and developed this avocation to a point of renown. His works number well over 200 pieces, including Christmas ornaments, caricatures, and realistic figures—many of which are collector’s items. His success was widespread, earning him a reputation of being among the top caricature carvers in America. He conducted summer seminars in the Ozarks as an instructor of woodcarving, where a seat in one of "Doc" Watson’s classes was highly coveted.
Dr. Watson’s accomplishments in his chosen profession were just as impressive. He was co-author of numerous professional journal articles, as well as principal for many lectures, conferences, and seminars in the area of primate disease and research. Ed was actively involved in research on simian AIDS, an area of medical research that has made major contributions to the understanding of human AIDS. Ed was regarded affectionately as a "superb monkey doctor" by his peers, which according to one colleague, "may not sound very significant to you, but I can tell you that you would have to place him among the top 10 or 15 primate clinicians in the country, and probably the world!"
Ed’s contributions in any field of concentration always far exceeded what was asked or expected of him. His professional expertise extended to not only clinical matters but to every facet ofhis organization. On top of his veterinary duties, he was the primary facilitator for the installation of a computer system at the Primate Center for the management of primate colonies and research. The first annual report completed on that system was dedicated to his work and memory.
After being diagnosed with diabetes, Ed managed his condition so well that it seemed to have no effect on his activities. His untimely passing certainly came as a shock, not only to Carolee and his parents, but to his many friends, colleagues, and professional associates. Tributes included numerous expressions of disbelief, dismay, and loss. Considering his extraordinary accomplishments and his age, only 40, it would have been easy to become caught up in the feeling that he had been somehow "cheated by fate." But Peter Gerone, one of Ed’s close colleagues and friends explained it best in his eulogy: "It’s not how long we live that counts, but how we live. In his short 40 years, Ed made a difference to a lot of people."
Thankful for 18 years of a "wonderful marriage," Carolee cites the following as Ed’s philosophy: "Life is such a precious gift that one has a responsibility to learn, be, and do, all he can." Ed expressed his talents in such a way that he simultaneously touched the lives of people in many different walks of life through his profession, church, music, and woodcarving. He lived his life to the fullest, enjoyed every minute, and encouraged others to "stop and smell the roses," to appreciate each day.
As a classmate and close friend since Plebe year, I consider it a high honor to have worked on this memorial article. I think Ed would be happy knowing he remains in our memory as the cheerful, convivial, joking, extremely talented and sharing friend, husband, and son that he was.
William H. Ward ’69, Mrs. Carolee (Watson) Fry, COL (Ret) Edwin A. Watson, Sr.