Hartland, Vt. —
He was born April 6, 1933, in West Farmington, Ohio, a son of George Washington Watkins and Priscilla W.M. (Smith) Watkins. Horace grew up on a farm in Chester and later moved Springfield, Vt., attending school in both towns. He was married to Jane Walsh Sept. 3, 1955, and together they raised a family in Vermont and Connecticut. The family moved as Horace found work in the machine tool industry including at Pratt & Whitney, MAL Tool, Purdy Corp and Raytheon before settling for good in Hartland in the early 1970’s when he began at NETAM Corp which became North Hartland Tool. Horace retired in 2000.
He enjoyed spending time working in his yard and gardens, and also belonged to various horseshoe, bowling, square dancing and golf leagues in the area as well as the Hartford Elks, the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars in White River Jct. Horace was also an avid card player.
He was predeceased by his wife, Jane, in 2003; two sisters Isabelle Graham and Dorothy Gammon and six brothers John, Jesse, George, Arthur, Ken and David Watkins.
He leaves a daughter Kimberly LaBarge and her husband Craig of Wilder, Vt.; sons Robert Watkins and his wife Robin of Hartland, Edmund Watkins and his wife Jayne of Wilder and Aaron Watkins and his wife Sheila of Hartland; grandchildren Tamara, Melissa, Stephanie, Tyler, Kyle, Christopher, Craig, Corey, Justin and Audriana; 11 great-grandchildren; and two brothers William and John Watkins both of Springfield, Vt.
A visitation will be held at the Knight Funeral Home in White River Jct. on Saturday, April 21, 2018, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Condolences to Horace’s family may be made in an online guestbook at www.knightfuneralhomes.com.
Contributions in his memory may be made to the Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society, PO Box 702, Brownsville, VT 05037.