Jonathan Allen Watson, 32, passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, March 21, 2018.
Jonathan was born March 12, 1986 to Tracy and Reba Watson in Birmingham, Alabama. He was one of three boys: he had a twin brother, Jeremy and an older brother, Corey. He grew up in Midfield and attended Brookwood High School. While a student, Jonathan played baseball and was the team’s pitcher. He was a very talented musician and played guitar in several bands during and after high school.
One summer evening in 2006, Jonathan met his future wife, Kayla at a swimming pool in Hoover. He asked for her number that night and she gave it to him as she left the pool. They shared several mutual friends, therefore, a close friendship easily developed between them; eventually, this led to them dating and falling in love. The year 2010 was a special one for Kayla and Jonathan as they married in a beautiful beachside wedding in Panama City Beach, Florida and it also marked the start of their family, with the birth of their first daughter. Jonathan graduated from Jefferson State Community College with an associate’s degree in Computer Programming. His family was so proud of him for achieving this goal, as he had faced the death of his mother and other personal and medical difficulties while a student. He never gave up and worked hard to graduate.
Jonathan loved being a father to his daughters – he enjoyed teaching them about the things he loved and taking time to have as much fun together as possible. Every Halloween, he would take the girls to haunted houses and watch scary movies. Throughout the year, he loved camping together in the backyard and at Oak Mountain State Park. Jonathan enjoyed annual beach trips and deep-sea fishing. He was also known to purchase a few scratch-off lottery tickets at the beach every trip just for fun. He was an avid University of Alabama and Dallas Cowboys fan and waited excitedly every fall for the new football seasons to begin.
Despite Jonathan’s untimely death, his family is finding some peace knowing that several of his organs will help others find new life through the process of organ donation. His generous gift of his heart, liver, kidneys and tissues have saved the lives of four people and have helped countless others. Jonathan dealt with multiple personal and medical challenges throughout his life, but he always strived to show courage and strength during difficult times. His family has some comfort knowing he is at rest and without pain.
Jonathan is survived by his wife, Kayla, three daughters, Emily, Sadie, and Angelina; his brother, Corey Watson (Lauren) and grandmother, Faith Simpson. He is preceded in death by his parents, Tracy and Reba Watson, and brother, Jeremy.
Visitation and Memorial Service will be Monday, March 26th from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm at W.E. Lusain Funeral Home, 629 Goldwire Way, SW. Birmingham, AL 35211. Interment immediately following at Elmwood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests donations to help cover Jonathan’s medical and other final expenses. Donations can be made at https://www.gofundme.com/remembering-jonathan-watson
If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text “START” to 741-741.
For more information on organ donation and how you can become an organ donor, please visit www.alabamaorgancenter.org