Mrs. Sadie (BIT) Richardson Watts born on February 8, 1932, made her transition on Monday, June 23, 2015, at Fairhaven Comprehensive Nursing Care and Retirement Center. She was receiving, concurrent, comfort care from the Oasis Hospice Service, at the time of death.
She was a retired school teacher of the Birmingham Board of Education (Smith Middle School, 1995); she, also, worked as an educator in Bessemer, AL, while under contract with the Jefferson County Board of Education, and the Parochial School System at St. Mary's Catholic Elementary School, Fairfield, AL, during the 1960s. Her service in the field of education extended to counselling and orientation advisor for federal government programs facilitated through B.O.I.C. (Birmingham Opportunity and Industrial Center) and J.C.C.E.O., including a summer stint at Lawson State Junior College.
Mrs. Watts (affectionately called "Bit" by relatives, including her former spouse, Earnest "Cat" Watts, Jr.) received her early childhood education from Hudson Elementary School and graduated from Praco High School in 1949. While raising four (4) children with her, then spouse, Earnest, she enrolled at Miles College in 1959, with the encouragement and financial support of Earnest, to realize her dream to become a school teacher. She earned a degree in Education and a minor in History from Miles College in 1963. During her marriage, she lived in Southwest Birmingham (Powderly Hills), and the Eastern area of Birmingham, near the airport (A. G. Gaston's Estates), where she was residing until the death of her second daughter, Deborah Ann Draper,in 2003.
She was a former member of Green Liberty Baptist Church (Powhatan, AL); First Baptist Church of Graymont (Smithfield, AL); and Brownsville United Methodist Church (previously located in the airport area's Brownsville Heights), 1966-1996. She joined Lily Baptist Church, under the pastorship of Rev. James Fancis Brooks, Sr., BTh, DD, in 1997, which is located in Brummit Heights (Tarrant, AL); she was still a member. While at Fairhaven, Mrs. Watts enjoyed religious services provided in the chapel until the ravages of the stroke that rendered her partially paralyzed in 1999, compromised her health with attendant impairments. Her daughter, Beverly, cared for her in 1996, following a joint knee replacement, and her late daughter, Ann, cared for her from August 1999 to January 2000, following the stroke in July. Both daughters shared caregivers' services, January 2000 to May 2003, with Beverly providing 24-7, caregiver's services, when Ann passed in 2003. Beverly continued to provide 24-7, live-in, caregiver's services, with limited support from Home Instead, Inc., until Mrs. Watts' placement at Fairhaven.
Mrs. Watts was predeceased by her parents, Mrs. Sadie "Dot" Sledge Richardson and Mr. David L. Richardson, Sr.; a daughter, Mrs. Deborah Ann Draper; two (2) sons, Earnest Eugene Watts and Michael Renard Watts; two (2) brothers, Mr. Solomon Edgar Richardson and Mr. David (Earnestine) L. Richardson, Jr.; a sister, Mrs. Reola (Mann) Duff; and two (2) nephews, Howard Duff and George Hayes, Jr.
Mrs. Watts is survived by her devoted daughter and best friend, Dr. Beverly J. Watts-Townsend (Juris Doctor) of Birmingham, AL; a sister, Mrs. Juanita Hayes of Ypsilanti, Michigan; her emotionally supportive grandchildren, Mrs. Delecia Paulette Draper (Jerome) Cowart of Huntsville, AL, Mrs. Carla Danyell Draper (Johnny, Jr.) Holloway of Toney, AL, and Mr. Kenneth-Michael Watts (Enesa) Townsend of Heildelberg, Germany; six (6) great-grandchildren: Cailyn Janae Holloway, Johnny Holloway III, Jacob Len Holloway, Breann Cayla Townsend, Jadon Daniel Townsend and Amaya Noelle Townsend; eleven (11), maternal nieces and six (6), maternal nephews; other nieces and nephews through marriage; a faithful cousin, the devoted grandson of her favorite late aunt, Ms. Eliza Sledge, Mr. DeJuane Holloway, Sr.; a host of relatives and many friends, most notably the Cockran, Fortenberry, Gentry, Ham and Reed families, including a special "adopted" daughter, Ms. Patsy Jo Cleopatra, all of whom were supportive, intermittently, since her stroke.
Funeral Services will be held on Wednesday, July 1, 2015, at 2:00 P.M. at LILY BAPTIST CHURCH, 2247 Treadwell Road, Tarrant, AL, with interment in Zion Memorial Gardens. The Family Hour is set for Tuesday, June 30, 2015 for two (2) hours, between 6:00 P.M. and 8:00 P.M. at Smith & Gaston Southside Chapel.