Robert Denny Watt
September 29, 1912 - June 13, 2008
Obituary
Robert Denny Watt, 95, an avid inventor, entrepreneur and active community member, died suddenly on June 10, 2008, after suffering a major stroke. Bob was born in Seattle on September 29, 1912, and is survived by his wife of nine years, Laura Wheeler Watt.
He was the son of Roberta Gertrude Frye and Paul Harris Watt and was the great-grandson of Mary Ann Boren and Arthur A. Denny, the leader of Seattle’s founding family. He had two younger brothers, John R. Watt of Atlanta, who passed away in 2006, and Richard Frye Watt of Chicago who survives.
Bob attended The Lakeside School and The Tamalpais School and graduated from the University of Washington in 1935 with a degree in mechanical engineering. At the University he started his life long association with his fraternity, Phi Gamma Delta Fiji. He went on to work on a Master’s Degree in combustion engineering at MIT and later did graduate studies at Harvard.
While in Boston he met his loving wife of 61 years, Catherine Viles Watt Kay, who passed away in 1997. Kay was the mother of his three children, Robert Denny Watt, Jr. of Spokane Grace Anderson, Marcia Walsh of Seattle John R. Walsh, Jr. and Victoria Sheldon of Olympia William A. Sheldon. He had six grandchildren and ten great grandchildren.
When Kay and Bob returned from Boston in 1936, he practiced engineering and was the youngest licensed Professional Engineer at that time in the State of Washington. During World War II, he worked for the Webster Brinkley Company, where he was the lead in designing the major mechanical systems for the Navy’s LSTs Landing Ship Tank used in amphibious landings. After his father’s death, Bob built his father’s small oil burner business into Electro-Watt, one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of home and industrial heating equipment in the Pacific Northwest, and a distributor of home heating oil in the Greater Seattle Area. He was ‘Bob’ to all his employees.
His executive abilities were recognized when he became a member of YPO Young Presidents Organization and the Chief Executives Forum. He served on the Board of Seattle Trust and Savings Bank and was instrumental in selling the bank to Key Bank, where he became a Senior Vice President. For many years he was the President and Chairman of the Board of the Louisa C. Frye Company which develops and manages real estate in the Seattle Area. He also was the President of Roxbury Construction, which built homes, schools and churches in the Seattle area.
Bob loved consulting and was ahead of his time by developing systems to recycle lumber-mill wood waste to power generating facilities, providing the electrical needs of the mills as well as electricity to the regional power grid. His many innovative engineering designs included such diverse items as bread-packaging machines, equipment to make electro cardiogram lead contacts, and automated scrimshaw carvers.
Although Bob was a very coordinated athlete, an accomplished equestrian and a great skier; his real passion was boating. He was an extremely successful sailor, winning all the major races in the Puget Sound Area in his 39′ R Boat the Lady Van R-7. In 1952, he competed in the US Olympic Trials in the International Dragon Class. He next turned to Star Boats and with fraternity brother Sunny Vynne won the Blue Star Fleet Championship several times and raced in the Gold Star International World Championship. He also participated in the Transpac Race, from Los Angeles to Honolulu, and in many Swiftsure Races. Bob enjoyed cruising all over the Northwest on his power boat, the ‘Exact,’ named after the schooner that landed his Great Grandfather’s party on Alki Point on November 13, 1851, which led to the founding of Seattle. He spent each summer cruising Desolation Sound using Mink Island as his home base. You could tell he was an engineer because the ‘Exact’ was full of systems and gadgets he had designed.
He understood that education was the key to the future. At The St. Nicholas School for Girls he was on the Board for many years, was its Chairman for 2 years and was instrumental in merging St. Nicholas with The Lakeside School. He continued on the Board of Trustees of Lakeside for a total of 57 years and was an Honorary Member when he passed away.
Bob was the ‘Last Man Standing’ of the 19 men in his Fiji class of 1935. He was the Treasurer of his national fraternity, an Archon member of the Board of Trustees and the International President of the Phi Gamma Delta Education Foundation. He was a living example that ‘Phi Gamma Delta is not for College days alone.’
An accomplished pianist, his love for music carried over to the Seattle Symphony where he was the President/ Chairman for 7 years and at the time of his passing he was a Lifetime Director of the Board which he had been on for many years. He enjoyed many happy activities at the Seattle Tennis Club, Seattle Golf Club, Men’s University Club, Seattle Yacht Club and the Rainer Club.
In 1999, he married Laura Wheeler Watt. Laura and Bob were very active up to his passing, and his children are very appreciative of the loving times they enjoyed together.
The Family is also thankful for his many friends and especially Thomas Kaudo ‘his companion for the last six months’ who all enabled Bob to lead a very active life in his later years.
In lieu of flowers the family suggests sending remembrances to The Lakeside School 14050 1st Ave. NE, Seattle, WA 98125, The Phi Gamma Delta Education Foundation PO Box 4599, Lexington, KT 40544 or The Seattle Symphony PO Box 21906, Seattle, WA 98111.