Nolan Wayne Watson
November 18, 1933 - November 26, 2021
Obituary
Nolan Wayne Watson found peace on November 26, 2021, after a courageous battle with Alzheimer’s. He died the way he lived, with dignity, poise, and grace surrounded by his family and friends.
Nolan was born in Little Rock, Arkansas on November 18, 1933 to Howard and Mattie Watson. He was the youngest of four children; Billie Crane, Lee Raybourn, and Howard Watson, Jr. Being the youngest and born during the Great Depression, Nolan often described himself as just “a shy, poor boy from Arkansas”.
After high school, Nolan enlisted in the United States Navy and served with honor as a flight navigator (active 1953-1957 and reserves 1957-1961). He excelled in the military and quickly moved up through the enlisted ranks. While in the Navy in 1955, he married his high school sweetheart, Sonia Rogers.
Nolan’s Navy experiences provided him with confidence in his technical skills, intelligence, and newfound outgoing personality. Following his service overseas, Nolan was assigned to the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station in Washington State. He fell in love with Washington and made it his home.
While at Whidbey Island, Nolan discovered his one and only true vice, his pipe. His tobacco of choice was sweet smelling Sir Walter Raleigh. Throughout his life, he was seldom seen without his pipe. Along with his pipe, he grew a beard that became a mainstay of his signature style. Occasionally he would add a tweed jacket with elbow patches, which often drew the comment of “Elementary, my dear Watson”.
Following Nolan’s honorable discharge from the military he enrolled as a student at the University of Washington, but found the classroom environment did not suit him. Following a period of time at the Boeing Company he sought and found employment at the University of Washington in an entry-level technician position. He worked for Dr. Robert Rushmere, the founding father of Bioengineering who impacted Nolan’s career and outlook on life. Nolan learned the importance of creative, detailed, and well thought-out research, as well as how to put his electronics background into designing new instrumentation.
One of the highlights of his early University career was a research safari to Kenya, where he and a team of other university researchers studied baboons and giraffes. After Kenya, he traveled Europe for a year, lecturing and working at various colleges and universities. He returned to the University where he continued to channel his passion for science, experimentation, and innovation. In the early 1970’s he shifted his focus to administration and facility design during a major expansion of the Health Sciences complex at the University. Along with coordinating the various construction phases, he designed a new flexible laboratory casework system that continues to be used around the United States at major universities and research institutions.
After thirty years at the University of Washington, Nolan retired. Although Nolan retired from the University of Washington, he never forgot his favorite football team, the Washington Huskies. He could often be seen wearing Husky purple or the Husky logo on shirts, vests, jackets, or caps. He continued his career by moving to Cupertino, California as a partner for the architectural, planning, and laboratory design firm McLellan and Copenhagen. In this position, he traveled the world and shared his expertise with academic, research, and government communities. Nolan was never one to sit still; he failed retirement seven times.
Family was a major part of Nolan’s life. In 1968, Nolan’s first daughter, Jessica was born followed two years later by his second daughter, Darby. He was a loving father who excelled at telling funny stories and would do anything to get his girls laughing. He was a present father who managed to help raise his daughters, work full time, and manage and maintain the increasing number of small apartments buildings he owned. Nolan encouraged and supported his girls in their dreams and endeavors. He was also, of course, a “cool” parent. Friday nights at the Watson house usually involved pizza and card games. The Eagles played on the stereo. In 2010, Iris Hazel Lynch was born to Darby Watson and Nicholas Lynch. Iris loved her grandpa and Nolan began again telling stories and sharing his love.
In 1993, Nolan married the love of his life, Stephanie Steppe. The two were married in South Lake Tahoe, Nevada and were “best buddies” for 28 years sharing their love of family, friends, travel, and gaming. Reno (staying at the Eldorado Hotel and Casino) was a favorite destination. Nolan loved “old school” slot machines with the pull handle and a good game of Let It Ride. He could be seen smoking his pipe, sipping Macallan scotch and chatting with the casino personnel while he played his favorite games. Over time, staff at the Eldorado became like extended family for Nolan and Stephanie.
They also loved to travel internationally and Mexico was their home away from home. On numerous occasions they invited friends and family to their beautiful residence in “old town” Puerta Vallarta, Mexico. Nolan did like to sightsee, but almost every evening he could be found at his favorite watering hole on the beach, Daiquiri Dicks. Nolan and Stephanie also celebrated special occasions with family and friends by hosting period costume parties in California or a birthday party in Paris. Nolan and Stephanie’s last extended trip with family and friends was to Scotland and England, where he got to research his roots.
Nolan leaves behind his loving wife, Stephanie, two daughters, Jessica and Darby (Nicholas Lynch), granddaughter Iris, nephews, nieces, and numerous friends and colleagues.
Nolan will always be in our hearts. He was a truly wonderful man who was generous, sincere, and honest with a fantastic sense of humor. He will be deeply missed.
Until we meet again. We will raise our glasses of Macallan scotch and toast Nolan’s lucky triple diamonds.
To My Best Buddy,
We had an amazing & wonderful life, with lots of adventures, sincere respect for each other, as well as unlimited love.
Rest in peace, Nolan – your journey is over.
Love, Steph
Susan and I feel so fortunate to have had Nolan in our lives and for us to be a part of his and Stephanie’s and all of the wonderful people who surrounded him. The obituary is wonderful but only touches the surface of the man we knew and the wonderful life he led.
I will always cherish Nolan’s friendship, insight, mentorship and humor. There are many “disciples” of Nolan’s who will carry on his passion for lab design as well as life itself. You will be missed but never forgotten. Your legacy is eternal.
To wonderful , amazing Guy.. I am blessed to have known you., I will never forget those times when you would approach me at your mailbox for your parcels and mail.. with your favorite pipe of course.. I will miss you so much thought I know our dear god is powerful than us and that you are now in his care… thank you for the friendship..
To Nolan: I was a Police Officer at the UW for 16 years, and in the last half of that time I frequently met with Nolan in a group he and I helped found to increase communication between the department and the campus.
Of all the people I met in that job, there were a half-dozen or so I truly admired as strong intelligent men and principled, ethical leaders; Most were in the department; Nolan was the only person outside the department who was one of them.
I always enjoyed working with him, sharing ideas and laughs and working on an important project together.
It was a privilege to work with him, and an honor to be his friend.
Nolan, god bless you, rest in eternal peace. We haven’t talked in years but when we did it was as if we were family, never apart. Thank you for all the good times. Se you in the next adventure.
Judy Bender
I was very fortunate to work for Nolan and years later reconnect with him and call him my friend. You will be missed
Dad led his life without letting others define him and he taught Jessy and I the same. He had an insatiable curiosity about the world and could be found reading up on science, engineering, or economics at any time. I especially loved the way he could get so excited about a new approach to just about anything. We will miss you so much. Thank you for all the gifts you’ve left us with, the greatest being a big heart with room for everyone.
I always enjoyed Nolan’s wonderful smile, hearty laugh and good cheer. And together with Stephanie they always seemed to have fun.