Francis Bernard Watrous, 88, of Owensboro, went to be with the Lord on December 11, 2020, surrounded by his wife and family. He was born on August 3, 1932, in Beacon, New York, to the late Francis Bernard and Alice Mae Wood Watrous, following his twin sisters Clara and Justina Watrous. Fran graduated from Wappingers Falls Central High School in 1950, then joined the Navy and was sent to Great Lakes Naval Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for training. During his three years in the Navy, he was stationed at North Island Naval Air Station in San Diego, California. He served as an airplane mechanic and spent eleven months on an aircraft carrier operating off the coast of Korea during the Korean War. He was discharged from the Navy on August 2, 1953. He had joined the Navy before his eighteenth birthday, so was in a “Kiddie Cruise,” which would end the day before he turned twenty-one.
He entered Murray State University in August 1953 on a basketball scholarship, majored in elementary education, and played basketball all four years at Murray. He married Letha Lyons on August 29, 1954. He graduated in 1957 and went on to spend almost four years as a salesman for Life Insurance Co. of Kentucky.
Francis traveled in Kentucky and lived in Paducah, Elizabethtown, and Liberty, Kentucky, before moving to Owensboro. In October of 1961, he received a teaching job at Franklin Elementary, teaching the third grade. His career expanded, and he was transferred to Longfellow School as a sixth-grade teacher, his first day on the job was on Halloween. Francis also taught at Emerson School for one year before becoming principal for the next two years. In addition, he was principal of Cravens Elementary School for fourteen years, Sutton Elementary School for five years, and principal at Foust Elementary for five years. Francis retired from Owensboro Public Schools around 1990. He worked the next five years for the Catholic Schools at Catherine Spalding Elementary as a sixth-grade teacher. He retired from there and returned to Owensboro city schools for five more years. At the Owensboro 5-6 Center, he oversaw the Interventional Assistance Room working with students in in-school suspension.
He was a member of Blessed Mother Catholic Church and was active as a Eucharistic Minister, Lector, adorer of the Eucharist, and Koinonia participant.
As a younger man, Francis was an avid tennis player, loved yard work and gardening, and attended every event possible that involved one of his grandchildren.
His wife, Letha, passed away on January 3, 2001. He later married Ethel Hayden on October 25, 2003, bringing both his and her families together.
Survivors include his loving wife, Ethel Hayden Watrous; daughter, Alice Moorman Gilbert (Danny); grandson, Dion Moorman; great-grandaughters Addi and Mara Moorman; children, Shannon Stephens (Brian), Bob Scheidegger (Joella), Richard Hayden (Natalie), Christopher Hayden (Courtney), and Lauren Hayden Griffith (Josh); and 15 grandchildren.
The funeral Mass will be 11 am Tuesday, December 15, 2020, at Blessed Mother Catholic Church. Visitation will be from 2 until 7 pm on Monday at Glenn Funeral Home and Crematory and after 9:30 Tuesday at the Church. There will be a private prayer service on Monday. Burial will take place at Resurrection Cemetery.
The number of those attending the visitation and funeral mass shall be with current health and safety directives. Family and friends shall wear appropriate personal protective masks. For visitation at the funeral home, please enter the doors under the portico on the Triplett street side of the building.
Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to Right to Life of Owensboro, Passionist Nuns of St Joseph Monastery, Owensboro Catholic Schools, or OPS Foundation for Excellence
Memories and condolences for the family of Francis Watrous may be left at www.glenncares.com