Joan E. Watts

Joan E. Watts Obituary and History:
Joan E. Watts, 85, of Prairie Village, Kansas, passed into eternal life on Saturday, March 6, 2021 with her loved ones by her side. Visitation will be Saturday, March 13 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. The Rosary will be prayed at 10:30 a.m. followed by the Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. at Curé of Ars Catholic Church, 9401 Mission Road, Leawood, Kansas. Live stream at cureofars.com/funeral

Joan was born at St. Mary’s Hospital in Kansas City, MO on July 19, 1935 to Dr. Solon E. Haynes and Alberta Cross Haynes. In her youth, Joan lived directly across from the grade school she attended but always seemed to be tardy. She attended St. Teresa’s Academy where she made lifelong friends. Joan was extremely proud of her high school and often reminisced about her days spent there. She later served as alumni president but had one condition: no public speaking! She always made sure to keep up on all the STA news and attended every reunion anxious to see all her friends. She graduated from St. Teresa’s College in 1956 following a two-year adventure to Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with her best friend Pat Flaherty. She often would talk about their shenanigans at Marquette!

On September 28, 1957, Joan married the love of her life, Dale Watts. They immediately started their family together and raised five children. Joan was a caring and loving mother and grandmother. Family was everything to Joan. She centered her entire life around making their lives better. Joan would always say her biggest achievement in life was her children.

Joan and Dale were members of St. Ann’s Catholic Church until 1976 when they moved to Delmar Street and joined Cure’ of Ars Catholic Church. Catholic education was a priority for Joan, and she sent the children to Catholic grade schools and to high school at St. Teresa’s and Rockhurst. It was in those parishes where Joan and Dale made many lifelong friends and shared many good times. The best of times were shared on Buena Vista Street in Prairie Village with the Falks, Abrams, Mertes, and Chezeks.
Ever the social butterfly, Joan was always enthusiastic about meeting with family and friends. She loved people and was always interested to hear about their life stories. It was very important to Joan that she kept up with everyone, and she cherished her time with friends. She loved to meet for happy hours and dinners. She loved bridge club events and lunches with her friends. Taco Tuesdays with Dale’s family were always a favorite. She loved getting Chinese food but would only order when Dale was gone for the evening because it wasn’t his favorite! She also loved to entertain at home and made it look effortless, whether she was hosting bridal showers for the children of her many friends or throwing dental office Christmas parties. As long as Joan could sit and relax with her favorite cocktail (Jim Beam with an olive) she was all in for the party scene.

Joan loved holidays and found each and every one to be a reason for celebration! From St. Patrick’s Day to Memorial Day to Christmas, she looked forward to the party and the family being together. Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve and Easter Brunch were the highlights of the year, and Joan made sure everything was perfect. The dining room table was always set with china and centerpieces, she served wonderful food and drink, and she made sure everyone gathered for a family picture.

Birthdays were another time to make everyone feel special and loved, especially the grandchildren. Joan’s grandkids looked forward each year to their special day, when they would have Grandma all to themselves for a birthday lunch and shopping for their gifts. Grandma was always in attendance at birthday dinners. Joan also took trips to California to see Chris, Denise, and the girls and love on them. She hated that they were so far away but always wanted to make them feel special.

Some of the best family memories were made in St. Augustine, Florida at the beach. The summer tradition began in the 1980s and continued in later years with annual trips with the grandchildren. Joan treasured those times when the grandchildren were all together without any distractions. She especially loved it when the family would pop into her condo and was able to enjoy personal time with them. Joan insisted on attending all of the graduations, baseball games, dance recitals, and other events that were important to her grandchildren. Family was her priority.

In her later years when she was unable to get out as much she loved being on Facebook and keeping up with friends and family pictures. Joan loved to go to the movie theater and always enjoyed popcorn and a Coke with the film. Watching Netflix at home was another favorite pastime. She enjoyed playing games on her mobile devices. She loved to keep up with the times so she could “be in the know” and share common interests with her children and grandchildren. She was always pleased that her grandkids were a willing source of “technical support” when she had questions about her iPad and iPhone! She even carried a notebook around and would jot down all the important instructions they gave her.

Joan was most proud of her sixty-three-year marriage to Dale and the family they raised together. She loved Dale with her whole heart, and they had many great years together. Toward the end of her life, he was by her side caring for her and is a true testimony to unconditional love. She will be missed by many but especially by her children. Even when pressed to say if she had a favorite, she would always maintain that she loved them all equally, and they definitely felt that love! She was also a loving mother-in-law to her three daughters-in-law and two sons-in-law. She provided a happy home where all felt welcome and loved, and her children and grandchildren will carry on that love through many future generations.

The sadness of her passing is felt keenly by all who knew her. Joan E. Watts was preceded in death by her parents, Dr. Solon E. Haynes and Alberta Cross Haynes, lovingly referred to as “Daddy Doc” and “Mama,” siblings Jean Myers, Mary Ruth Solak, Helen Ann Andrus and Dr. Solon Haynes, Jr. She is survived by her faithful and loving husband of 63 years, Dr. Dale Douglas Watts; Children Dr. Douglas Watts (Elizabeth), Overland Park, Kansas; Christopher Watts (Denise), Rancho Santa Margarita, California; Denise Callahan (Tom), Olathe, Kansas; Debra Stanton (Don), Overland Park, Kansas; Stephen Watts (Jennifer), Lee Summit, Missouri, fourteen grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; Rachel Watts, Andrew Watts, Mary Watts, Matthew Watts, Emily Watts, Katie Watts, Annie Watts, Patrick Callahan, Jack Callahan, Amanda Stanton, Jacob Stanton, James Stanton, Madeleine Watts, Olivia Watts; great-grandchildren Nolan and Scarlet Townsend and numerous nieces and nephews.

A private internment service will be held for family members and close friends. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Little Sisters of the Poor, 8745 James A Reed Road, Kansas City, Missouri 64138. http://littlesistersofthepoorkansascity.org/The family would like to extend a special thank you to Jane Falk for being such a supportive and loving friend to Joan and Dale over the years.
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