Gaylon Watson

PIEDMONT — Gaylon H. Watson, age 85 of Piedmont, passed away Tuesday, Oct, 15, 2019 at the St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born June 15, 1934 in Clarkton, Mo., the son of Almus and Alma Watson. Gaylon and his family lived on a small farm at McGuire Switch, 4 miles south of Malden. He attended first grade in a one room rural school, the Jones School, and second grade through high school at Clarkton. He graduated from Clarkton High School in 1951 and was a member of the basketball team that went to the state tournament in 1951. Gaylon joined the US Navy in June 1951 and served two years aboard the heavy cruiser USS Baltimore in the Mediterranean. The Baltimore was selected to represent America at the Coronation Fleet Review by newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II. This took place at Spithead Bay, England. The queen and her ship passed in review on June 15, 1953, which was Gaylon’s 19th birthday. Gaylon then served the last 18 months of service as staff member of the Military Sea Transportation Service, working out of offices in the American Embassy Building in London. He was honorably discharged in June 1955.

After his discharge, he attended Keegan Radio School in Memphis, Tenn. He later went to work as a staff announcer at KBOA in Kennett from 1956-1957. After his first stint at KBOA, he took a position as staff announcer and News Director at KNEA radio in Jonesboro, Ark. where he enrolled at Arkansas State University. He graduated from Arkansas State with a BSE degree on August, 1960. Following graduation, Gaylon again went to work at KBOA in Kennett for a year as sports director. He and Skeeter Kell did play-by-play for both football and basketball.

In the summer of 1961, Gaylon enrolled in graduate school at Missouri University School of Journalism. M.U. professor Dr. Edward Lambert was impressed by Gaylon’s voice and hired him as sports director and staff announcer at KOMU-TV Channell 8 in Columbia, Mo. Each week he interviewed MU football coach Dan Devine. Also, the world famous Olympic track star Jesse Owens was Gaylon’s guest one evening on Channel 8.

In 1963, he was hired by WSM-TV in Nashville where he intended to finish his master’s degree at Vanderbilt University. However, Missouri University would not allow him to switch schools to finish his degree. WSM-TV gave Gaylon permission to take leave of absence to return to MU to finish his degree. He received his Master’s Degree in Journalism in 1964.

It was during this time that Gaylon decided he wanted to have his own radio station. He took a temporary job as manager of KMIS radio in Portageville, Mo. in order to get some experience in station management. While at Portageville, he filed the application with the FCC for a new radio station in Piedmont. In May 1966, KPWB radio in Piedmont went on the air and is still broadcasting today with the addition of an FM frequency.

In 1970, Gaylon sold his interest in KPWB and took a job as a grant writer for the Ozark Foothills Regional Planning Commission. In 1972, he founded radio station KPIA in Ironton, Mo. He sold that station in 1976. In 1978, Gaylon was hired at Greenville High School as a teacher. He was on the staff at Greenville when the school burned. He remained on the staff until a new school was completed in 1982.

In 1982, Gaylon was elected mayor of Piedmont where he served four years before moving to a country home. In 1993, Gaylon moved back to Piedmont and was again elected mayor. He served in that office until his retirement in 2007. He served a total of 16 years as Piedmont’s mayor. During that time, Gaylon was responsible for obtaining over 6 million dollars in grants, including a major flood buy-out, a walking trail, parks and many other public works projects for the city and community. Gaylon was a past member of the Masonic Lodge, the Piedmont Rotary Club and was currently a member of the Trinity United Methodist Church.

He is preceded in death by his parents and one sister, Beverly James.

Survivors include his wife, Carolyn Watson, of Piedmont; three children, Ricky Watson, of Parsons, Kan., Timothy (Sherry) Watson, of Potosi, Mo., Angela Watson, of Poplar Bluff and one brother, Jerry (Donna) Watson, of Piedmont.

Visitation will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at the Morrison Funeral Chapel in Piedmont. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home chapel with Dennis Hovis officiating. Burial with military honors will be in the Masonic Cemetery. Memorials have been requested to the St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

Online condolences: www.morrisonfuneral.com

Paid