WATSON, Denese Hope (née Freeman)

Denese Watson, mother of Greg Watson, passed away peacefully in Orillia, 26-Dec, 6:26 am, at the age of 97. She passed away peacefully at 6:26 a.m. at Oak Terrace Long Term Care in Orillia, Ontario.

Denese is survived by her sons Greg and Stephen Watson, Greg's wife Elsie, three grand children Efeti Makoge, Dan Makoge, and Kenneth Watson, eight grand children, Martha, Kinge, Ngwese, Esther, and Nalowa Segun, and Ayana, Nyla, and Kairo Makoge, and her brother David Freeman and his wife Rosemarie.

Denese is predeceased by her husband of 59 years, Kenneth Harold Alexander Watson, and her sister Beatrice Freeman.

Celebration of Life
Saturday January 13, 2023 at 11 AM
Mundell Funeral Home
79 West St North, Orillia ON, L3V 5C1
Livestream: https://event.forgetmenotceremonies.com/ceremony?c=8017ea84-cd00-4f43-ad1e-36d39646b072

Denese Watson was born December 21st 1926 in Gravenhurst, Ontario, to Frederick and Sarah Freeman (née Jackson), and graduated from Orillia Soldiers Memorial Hospital Nursing program in 1949. In 1952, Denese maried Ken Watson and the two moved to Arnprior. In 1954, they moved to Hagersville where Ken became part owner of "McCall Watson Pharmacy" and Greg and Stephen were born. In 1974, they bought their own pharmacy in Westport, Watson's Village Pharmacy, which Ken and Denese ran together from 1974 to 1984. She moved from Westport to Leacock Lodge in Orillia in March 2014, and lived at Leacock until August 2023, when she moved to Oak Terrace.

Denese is remembered for her lifelong sunny disposition: even after she could no longer speak, she continued to smile, blow kisses, and give a thumbs-up.

The family would like to express special thanks to the staff at Leacock Lodge, Oak Terrace, the Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Hospital, and Gordon and his wife from St. Athanasius Anglican Church, Orillia, for their affectionate care.