John Watts

John Watts, 80, of rural Robinson, IL, died January 13, 2022, at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, IL. He was born in his family's farmhouse outside of Robinson on May 6, 1941, the son of James Arthur & Lois Loraine (Denton) Watts, both of whom preceded him in death. He married Ruth Ann Morris on February 5, 1968, and she preceded him in death on July 15, 2019. He was also preceded in death by his daughter, Kelly Lorraine Watts (in infancy); and by his brother, Jimmie Arthur Watts. He is survived by his three daughters & sons-in-law, Beth & John Rzeszut (Carol Stream, IL), Emily & Raj Jayara (Port Barrington, IL), and Ashley & Kyle Kent (Dayton, OH); by his six granddaughters, Maddie Rzeszut, Ellie Rzeszut, Amelia Jayara, Annabel Jayara, Alice Jayara, and Adele Jayara; and by his sister & brother-in-law, Marsha & George Baker (Robinson, IL). If anything could be said of John, it'd be that family was the heartbeat of his very life. As a young man, he dropped out of school to help them financially in the only way he knew how: through music. A talented bass guitarist and singer, he made a living playing with the band The Starbrites, a gig that found him all over the continental United States. It was a wild and colorful period in his life, but no matter how far he traveled or how crazy things got, he always made sure to send money home, even if it meant surviving off bread and beans (which is exactly what he did!) Following an auto accident that cost him his leg, a hobbling John grabbed the attention of a young Ruth Ann Morris, who "felt sorry for him." Whatever the attraction, it was but the beginning of 51 beautiful years of marriage. As the head of a young family, John decided to find more consistent work than what music could provide. So, he became an oil producer, a career that kept him in the oil fields until he was 78! Of course, the weekends still found him playing music, and for years, he enjoyed making a loud and joyful noise with bands such as The Flaming Coals and The Ghost Riders. After the loss of his father, John moved his family to Robinson to be closer to his mother. Over the next several years, he made a point to visit and care for her every day, which likely contributed to her long and meaningful life. John was not only a loyal son but a devoted husband and doting father as well. He worked hard to ensure his beloved girls had a bike or a car of their own and even laid out "roads" and "intersections" in the middle of cornfields to teach them how to drive! In the twilight years of his life, John enjoyed the simple things, such as cutting the grass or cooking "river rat" burgers over a campfire. After losing Ruth Ann, he took to baking and to visiting with the many wild birds that made their way to his home. In fact, he was a lover of all animals, which, when paired with his love of children, speaks to his caring nature. John Watts will be remembered as a selfless, resilient man who lived a lot of life in his 80 years. We will never, nor could we ever forget him. His family will receive friends from 9:00-11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 19th, at the Goodwine Funeral Home in Robinson. Funeral services will immediately follow and will be held at 11:00 a.m., with his nephew, Brian Baker officiating. Burial will be in the Lawrenceville Cemetery, with Celebrant Curt Goodwine officiating. In honor of his love of animals, memorials may be made to the "Crawford County Humane Society", with envelopes available at the funeral home.