Obituary of Howard Alfred Watts

Howard A. Watts of Santa Cruz, CA passed away at his Soquel home unexpectedly on Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011. He was 82 years old. Howard was born on October 4th, 1929 in Michigan. He moved to Santa Cruz when he was 11 years old where he attended the one room school house on Branciforte Drive. He later attended Santa Cruz High School where he performed as a talented basketball player and graduated in 1947 to begin his life as a hardworking husband, father, and grandfather. Howard later served his country in the U.S Navy from 1952 to 1954. He was a successful and accomplished masonry contractor and his career as a brick layer spanned over 45 years. Howard was known for constructing some of Santa Cruz's beautiful landmarks, including the clock tower in downtown Santa Cruz, O'Neill Surf Shop, and the unique three-arch building made of red brick on 41st avenue. Howard was a loyal, self made man who came from humble beginnings. Everyone knew they could turn to him in times of need and he would never turn down an opportunity to help someone succeed. Howard enjoyed working in his orchard where he grew avocados, lemons, and apples. Receiving a bag of his produce as a gift was his measure of a good friendship. His family will forever remember his dedication to hard work and the passing on of these ethics and work habits to future generations. He was very proud of teaching his sons and grandsons the trade, as they work in masonry today. He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Annette Watts, his children, Kim Watts, Cindy Guess, and Jeff Watts and his step-children, Jim Young, Marcie Bushman, and Stacey Chirco. He leaves behind his brothers Fred and Jim Watts and his sisters, Beverly Champion, and Ardell Flavin. He will be sadly missed by his 12 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren and his dog Coal who would never leave his side. A celebration of his life will be held at Benito and Azzaro Pacific Gardens Chapel on December 6th, beginning at 1:00pm. A private committal will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in Howard's honor may be made to a charity of your choice.