Joseph Louis Watts, of Middletown, passed away on Wednesday, August 15, 2012 at Orange Regional Medical Center. He was 84 years old.
Born on June 2, 1928 in Manhattan, NY, he was the son of the late Frederick and Gertrude (Monahon) Watts.
He was the beloved husband of the late Ethel Watts.
Joseph was in the Navy for 17-1/2 years and retired with a rank of Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class. He fought in World War II, Korean War, and spent many years in the South Pacific. After retiring from active duty, he worked for Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey. He later worked for and retired form Singer Kearfott in Little Falls, NJ. At Kearfott, he was the calibration group leader for the MITA-5 gyros used in the Trident missile program. He was most proud of the gyro that he calibrated that was used in the landing on the moon.
He was a member of the West Milford Masonic Lodge, the VFW Post 7198 of West Milford and a member of Our Lady Queen of Peace, Hewitt, NJ.
Joseph is survived by his daughter, Debby Burris and her husband Howard of Goshen; his son, Thomas English and his wife, Kim of Middletown; his daughter, Barbara Jean McManus of Middletown; his daughter, Sharon Rudy and her husband Michael of Cumming, GA; his son, Kevin English and his wife Domenica of Lodi, NJ. He is also survived by fourteen grandchildren and twenty-one great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a son, Thomas Watts.
Visitation will be on Sunday, August 19, 2012, from 2-4 & 7-9 pm at Lazear-Smith & Vander Plaat Memorial Home, 17 Oakland Avenue, Warwick, NY. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00 am on Monday at St. Joseph’s RC Church, 149 Cottage Street, Middletown, followed by interment in St. Joseph’s Cemetery.
Memorial donations in Joseph’s memory may be sent to Orange County Veterans, 111 Craigville Road, Warwick, NY 10990.