Richard Wallace Watson, age 66, born March 1959 in O’Neill, NE, resided for 42 years in St. Paul, Minnesota, and passed way Monday, October 13, 2025 in St. Paul, MN, with his wife and dearest friends with him, after courageous challenges from medical issues. Graduated from O’Neill High School in 1977, remembered still by classmates for his portrayal of The Lion in the Wizard of Oz. After a career in banking providing senior customer service, Rich returned to school and graduated from CenterPoint Massage School in Minnesota in 2006 and opened Heart Life Message, a respected rehabilitation massage practice, providing, in his words, “Massage for your body, mind and spirit so that you can follow your heart.” Rich was also a friend of Bill W’s for 40 years.
He will be dearly missed by his wife of 36 years, Pamela-Yates Watson of St. Paul, MN; step mother Glenice Watson of O’Neill, NE; sister Nancy Watson and partner, Gary White, of Fernandina Beach, FL; four step brothers/sisters; Mike Johnson and his wife, Marilyn, of Lincoln, NE; Mark Johnson and his wife, Vicky, of Atkinson, NE; Vanessa Johnson of Omaha, NE; Lana Petersen and her husband, Rich, of Lyons, NE; uncle Sam Watson of Omaha, NE; aunt Caroline Langley of West Des Moines, IA, and other relatives including cousins, nieces, nephews including close family-friends in US, UK and Australia. And we remember his love for all things furry. Rich was preceded in death by his parents, John C. and Betty Watson, his sister, Ruth “Laia” Watson and brother, John Robert Watson.
Please join us for a Circle of Life Service Honoring Richard W. Watson on Thursday, November 6, 2025, at 1:00pm at Unity Church Unitarian, 733 Portland Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55104. The service in the Sanctuary will be available to view during the service and also available to view later from this link: https://bit.ly/rwatsonmem. The livestream will be of the service only, not the reception.
Family flowers only.
Donations to the Alliance of Early Childhood Professionals dba Wicoie Nandagikendan.org, donate in confidence through Charity Navigator, https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/411794564.
Link to the church website regarding parking https://www.unityunitarian.org/directions-and-parking.html
