Obituary of William W. Watkins

William W. Watkins, Jr., 82, a retired Army colonel who specialized in Chemical Engineering and Munitions Liaison Officer, died following a stroke December 2nd at The Halquist Memorial Inpatient Hospice Center in Arlington. Col. Watkins was born in Oneonta, New York and graduated from The Mercersburg Academy. Bill was active in the Press Club, a letterman on the varsity tennis team, and participated in several intramural sports. He played the clarinet in both the football marching band and the concert orchestra. He graduated cum laude and gave one of the senior orations at commencement in 1949. After graduation, he attended the University of Pennsylvania. He graduated from Wharton School in 1953, with a minor in engineering. Following graduation, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army Chemical Corps. Col. Watkins was called to active duty in October 1953. His early army career included various troop and administrative assignments at Fort McClellan, Alabama; Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland; Fort Bliss, Texas; and Gary, Indiana. In January 1959, he was assigned to Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, as one of a small group of officers selected to establish the U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, and Radiological Weapons School. Following his promotion to captain in March 1960, he was assigned as the Chief of the Polar Branch, Dugway Environmental Test Division. In this position he headed the Chemical Corps Polar Test Team, which wintered over at Camp Century on the Greenland Ice Cap from October 1961 through March 1962. In August 1963, he received a Master of Science degree in Industrial Administration from Purdue University and was designated a distinguished graduate and Krannert Scholar. Following his graduation, he was again assigned to Edgewood Arsenal where he served in various capacities in the Procurement and Production Directorate until July 1966. He then attended the School of Naval Command and Staff at the Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island, where he was an honor graduate. From July 1967, through May 1968, he served on the staff of the Army Project Manager for Selected Ammunition as a Munitions Liaison Officer to the Aeronautical Systems Division of the Air Force Systems Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. In June 1969, following a year’s assignment as an operations’ analyst with the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam; he was assigned as a plans officer in the Logistics Directorate of the Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Subsequent duty in the Washington, D.C. area included assignments as the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics and later, Secretary of the General Staff for the Military District of Washington, and as a management analyst in the Office of the Army Chief of Staff. Upon his promotion to colonel in May 1974, he was assigned as Chief of the Army Purchasing Office in Saigon, an element of the Defense Attaché Office, Vietnam. Colonel Watkins was evacuated from Saigon by helicopter on April 29, 1975, just prior to the fall of the city to Communist Forces. After his return from Saigon, he attended the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in Washington, D. C. Colonel Watkins’ last 15 years of Army service was in purchasing and contracting. Among his awards and decorations, Colonel Watkins received the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters. In retirement, Colonel Watkins settled in the Washington area and continued 12 years of employment in the high-tech civilian economy with defense-oriented firms. He also became very active in civic and community affairs, and served as president of the Canterbury Woods Civic Association for six years, and as president of his Condominium Association in Ocean City, Maryland for 10 years. Bill was involved in the Pets-on-Wheels program sponsored by Fairfax County, wherein with his Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Poocha, he visited various nursing facilities in Fairfax County to bring smiles and joy to the residents. Colonel Watkins was active in the Virginia Master Gardener Extension Service Program for more than 20 years, and took an active interest in the field of horticulture in his personal and professional endeavors. Further he was instrumental in promoting several community projects in the Greater Washington area. He was active in the Boy Scout community and served as the Canterbury Woods Institutional Representative to Cub Scout Pack 873 for many years. Colonel Watkins was an active member of the Episcopal church throughout his life. He served as an acolyte for more than 60 years and was a Lay Eucharistic Minister for many years, most recently since 1980, at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepard. Survivors include his Significat Other and Care Giver, Agnes Jones of Mayfield, Kentucky, and two children, daughter Margo R. Harper and son-in-law Kent Harper of Brunswick, Georgia and son Whit Watkins and daughter-in-law Kimberly Connelly of Oregon City, Oregon. Family will receive friends on Monday, December 9th at 1:00 pm at Church of the Good Shepherd, 9350 Braddock Road, Burke, Virginia. Funeral service to follow at 2:00 pm. Interment Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday, February 27, 2014 at 3:00pm. For those who are attending, please meet at the administration building by 2:15pm. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donation be made to the Church of the Good Shepherd, The Halquist Memorial In-Patient Hospice Center, or any charity of your choice.