Watts, Carl Estes
Dr. Carl Estes Watts, Sr., age 90, passed away peacefully at home, Monday, February 22, 2016. He was born January 20, 1926, in the West Nashville area and has lived in Murfreesboro since 1992.
He was preceded in death by the love of his life for sixty-six years, Helen Page Watts; parents, James T. and Naomi Sturdivant Watts; and older sister, Iona Watts Greer. He is survived by his younger brother, Wallace B. Watts (Marion); son, Rusty Watts; daughter, Melanie Womack (Ben); sister-in- law, Dottye Suggs; grandchildren, Hunter Womack (Miranda), Matt Womack, Megan Watts, Carl Watts III (Rachel); great- grandchildren, Helen Paige Womack, Nicholas Womack, Annabelle Womack, Tyler Petty, Haleigh Petty, Molly Watts and Eva Watts.
Dr. Watts was a veteran of WWII, serving in the Air Force. After the war, he married Helen, graduated from UT Knoxville, then the Southern School of Optometry in Memphis. He had a vibrant optometric practice in downtown Nashville for forty-two years. After retiring and moving to Murfreesboro, he also practiced at the Alvin C. York VA for eight years.
He was a member of Churches of Christ at West Nashville Heights, Otter Creek, where he served as deacon, and North Boulevard Church of Christ.
He had a passion for life; a member of the “greatest generation that ever lived.” He minored in agriculture at UT and could grow absolutely anything. When he wasn’t practicing optometry, he was gardening or playing golf. He had three holes in one, won multiple tournaments at Brentwood Country Club, Richland Country Club, and Indian Hills being their Senior Champ in 1997. He played his last round at age eighty-six.
A memorial service will be held at North Boulevard Church of Christ, Friday, February 26, 2016, at 2:00 pm with David Young officiating. Visitation with the family before the service will be 12:30-1:45. In lieu of flowers, please contribute to the Disaster Relief Program, Alive Hospice, or a charity of your choice. The family wishes to thank all the wonderful caregivers from Family Staffing Solutions. (Dr. Watts was a kind and peaceable man. At work he was always pleasant. I enjoyed this work. Rene Crenshaw)
Comments by Sandra Collins
Helen and Carl were two of five people kidnapped Otter Creekers. The day after returning home from abdominal surgery, Carl was walking on the sidewalk in front of his house. A man stopped him and asked for directions to some street. Carl said there was no street by that name in his area. The man pulled a knife and told Carl to get his wife and his car and drive
him to Franklin. The man had Helen remove her hose which he used to tie her, held a knife to her stomach, and told Carl to drive fast to Franklin. Carl did as told. When he came to the stop where Hillsboro Road comes to the first stoplight in Franklin, Carl saw a police car on the nearby street. He purposely ran into the car in front of him. The man jumped out and was soon caught by the police. Only then did Carl remember his abdominal surgery. Fortunately, the man did not know that upstairs was their teenaged daughter taking a bath.