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Roy Allen Watson Sr

Feb 16, 2022

1932 – 2022

Roy Allen Watson Sr, also well known as Hot Rod Watson, age 89, graduated from this life with two beloved daughters at his side in Payson, Utah on February 13, 2022.

Roy was born on April 30, 1932 near Las Vegas, Nevada on the Clark and Ronan Ranch in a tent with wood siding and floor, to Walter Samuel and Martha Emeline Huntsman Watson. He was the sixth of seven children and grew up on the shores of Lake Mead in the Moapa Valley, just outside Overton, Nevada. The family moved into “town” when he was 2 yrs old. Roy was a lively young boy with red hair and freckles who was lovingly called “Carrots.” He loved the great outdoors and wide-open spaces. He even trained a wild redtail hawk and bass fish to be his pets. In 1942 the family moved to a home at 1420 Joshua St in Las Vegas where Roy attended Las Vegas Grammar School. In 1947 they moved to Pleasant Grove, Utah and settled in the Manila area north of town. In his free time as a young man, Roy was known to love fast cars and racing which is how he became widely known as Hot Rod. At the age of 17 Roy lost his father and left school to work fulltime to provide for his mother and younger sister, Ruby, who had special needs. Roy shortly thereafter joined the US Army. He went radar mechanic school at Fort Bliss, Texas. Roy quickly obtained the rank of Sergeant First Class and served as an anti-aircraft Gunnery Sgt in Misawa, Japan during the Korean War. His gun section C-18, won the radar plaque and best gun section award in April,1955 and he was named Soldier of the Month by the 507th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion in Misawa.

On December 4,1955 Roy married his Sweetheart, Doril Woolley of Pleasant Grove. They had 11 children together; 6 daughters and 5 sons. Roy provided for his growing young family as a salesman in his younger years and later started his own excavation business, Integrity Excavating. He taught a number of his sons, sons-in-law, and grandsons this trade and mentored them until they became successful in the industry; they still continue the legacy of skilled excavating. Roy never lost his love for speed, he took his Hot Rod racing to the water and won several boat races on the Green River, Utah Lake, and Provo River with Doril by his side as his navigator. Roy shared his love of the great outdoors with the local youth as he was a Scout Master with the Boy Scouts of America for many years. He thoroughly enjoyed pinewood derbies and coaching his sons and cub scouts how to make their derby cars go faster than ever with aerodynamic designs. He loved teaching important life skills to youth. In 1983 Roy and Doril moved to Riggins, Idaho with their four youngest children where he operated a small gold mine on the Salmon River. He was an avid outdoorsman who loved fishing, and all kinds of hunting. Roy obtained a private pilot’s license at age 17 and maintained it after his military service, enjoying the freedom of flying back and forth from Idaho to Utah, as well as many other adventures in his own airplanes. His children relished his instruction at home in amazing paper airplane engineering and flight. He had a love of race cars, boats, and planes. Roy was especially thrilled to drive them fast and won many races over land, water and air. Roy and Doril’s marriage ended years after raising their large, beautiful family together.

In 2008 Roy married the love of his life Darlene Bartlett of Monterey, California. They shared nine happy years together.

Roy was preceded in death by his wife Darlene, his parents; Walter and Martha, his siblings; Pat, Ethel, Sam, Twoena, Bill, and Ruby, a son-in-law Anthony (Tony) B. Fugal, grandchildren; Christina Rose Watson, David James Norton, Shadrach Fugal, and Aaron and Benson Cook (Clark).

He is survived by Doril Watson, the mother of his children, his children; Mary Fugal (Tony), Roy Watson Jr. (Jerna) Spring City UT, Martha Phelon (Stephen Sr) Lindon UT, Debany Henriksen (Bruce) Salem UT, John Watson (Elaine) American Fork UT, Craig Watson Draper UT, Wendy Farnsworth (Steve) Bountiful UT, Steven Watson (Beckyann) Orem UT, Necia Clark Winnemucca NV, William âBillã (Aurora Phuong) Watson, and Crystal Norton (Jeff) American Fork UT. In addition, Roy is survived by 63 grandchildren (53 of whom are married), 140 great grandchildren, and one great great granddaughter.

The family would like to give an extra special thank you to Lynn, Bonnie, and Carolyn at RoseStone Manor of Payson and Sasha, Stacey, Natalie, and Joe of Yarrow Hospice, and many others whom we may have inadvertently forgotten, for your kind and loving care of our father. We could not have aged our Dad without you!

A viewing will be held Friday, February 18th, from 10:00 am to Noon, at Utah Valley Mortuary, 1966 W 700 N Lindon, Utah. His Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, February 19th, from 10:00 to 11:30 am, at the Lindon Community Center Gymnasium, 25 N Main Street Lindon, Utah. Interment with Military Honors to immediately follow in Pleasant Grove City Cemetery, 500 N 100 W Pleasant Grove, Utah.

Funeral Directors: Utah Valley Mortuary. Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.uvfuneral.com.