Mary Lee Watson found strength in family, faith, fun
By CAROLE ROBINSON, Staff Writer
crobinson@williamsonherald.com
It wasn’t her physical strength that qualified Franklin’s Mary Lee Watson for the inaugural title of Maryland Farms YMCA “Strong Woman of the Year” – certainly not recently, as the chemotherapy she was undergoing since last September for the colon cancer that had returned after 15 years of being cancer-free zapped her physically.
It was the strength of character that only comes to a person who knows how to love and live life to its fullest bringing those around her into her magic world. Mary Lee took life as it came.
After a valiant battle with cancer, Mary Lee Smith Watson of Franklin died at the age of 86 while vacationing with family at Holden Beach in North Carolina.
A “true lover of people” with “an amazing optimistic outlook,” if Watson could comment on her death, friends say she would not say she lost her battle with cancer, but rather she would blow a kiss to her family and friends, smile that infectious smile of hers and with a lilt in her voice, say “this is what it is” and she was merely embarking on another of life’s many adventures.
“She had a desire for life – a fervor for adventure, she loved to laugh and she loved to have fun,” said Ashley Harold, volunteer director at the Maryland Farms YMCA where Watson, who was a nationally known swimmer, spent each morning directing the Masters Swim program.
“I learned to accept things – life is what it is,” Watson said during an interview on the WSRadio program, “On the HomeStretch” on April 4.
“You can make lemonade or have lemons – I choose lemonade. Age is definitely a state of mind and a matter of comparisons. What you’ve got is what you get – you don’t have to fight it.”
According to several friends, Watson was full of love, inspiration and determination.
“She has a knack for relating to anyone no matter what their age,” wrote Liz Wilson in her letter of recommendation for the Strong Woman award. “She has an amazing faith, an amazing attitude and is amazingly resilient.”
She loved to have fun and her adventuresome spirit never tired – she was always willing to try something new.
“When I met her, I came to love her – she was the model of what I wanted to be,” said Suzanne Allen, a close friend. Allen met Watson at the Maryland Farms YMCA in 1994 when she started swimming with Watson’s early morning swim group as therapy for a hip replacement.
“I treasured her friendship and advise. She was very accepting and forgiving. I rarely heard her say anything negative – Mary Lee was totally genuine. She knew how to have fun and enjoy everyday – even when she was so sick – she loved to laugh.”
Mary Lee had a knack for making every person she met feel special. With her curiosity and spirit of adventure she created a world filled with humor and fun.
“When I met her, I immediately fell in love with her,” said Harold. “I met her in the spring of my life and I am so thankful to have known her. She made me feel so special – she made me feel sufficient. She taught me it’s not about striving to be like someone else, it’s about being the best I am right now.”
While a student at the University of Tennessee, Watson began swimming quite by chance – the team needed another person to fill a spot on the roster. That chance to fill in lead her in a whole new direction as she develop into an accomplished swimmer, and a “determined competitor.” Her passion for the sport launched a successful career in swim-related retail management, teaching and competition. As a leader with the United States Masters Swimming Association, Watson served as chairperson of several committees was an officer since 1985 and she was involved in the creation of the Music City Masters.
As a competitor, Watson continually set national distance records in her competitive age group and she set a world record in the 400-meter freestyle for the 60-year old age group at the Senior Olympics in Australia that still stands.
She was named the USMS All-American in 1987 and 1988. In 1993, she was inducted into the Tennessee Swimming Hall of Fame and in 1995 she received the highest award in Masters Swimming; the Ransom J. Arthur Award. The USMS awarded her the distinguished Dorothy Donnelly USMS Service Award in 2007 for her years of work with the organization.
Mary Lee Watson is survived by three children; Cindy (John) Watson Ford and Arthur (Laura) Watson Jr., all of Franklin, and Vicki (Joseph) Watson Zendegui of Vancouver, B.C.; 10 grandchildren; and two great grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at Bethlehem United Methodist Church, where she was an active member, on Monday, June 16. Visitation will begin at 9:30 a.m. followed by a service at 11a.m. Memorial contributions may be made to the Holston Home for Children, P.O. Box 188, 404 Holston Dr., Greeneville, TN. 37744.
Posted on: 6/12/2008
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