Barbara Mary Watkins obituary

Barbara Mary Watkins Obituary

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

March 03, 1954 - June 21, 2020

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Barbara Mary Watkins obituary

Barbara Mary Watkins Obituary

Mar 03, 1954 - Jun 21, 2020

This obituary is administered by:

I Love You Big and Large!

Barbara Mary Watkins (born Brauer), loving mother, grandmother (Nammie), wife, sister, and friend, died June 21, 2020 at the age of 66 in Las Vegas, NV from complications related to Carcinoid cancer.

Barbara was born March 3, 1954 in Normandy Park, WA to David Brauer and MaryAlice Disotell.  The fourth child and only girl, Barbara loved her big brothers, and was especially close to Rodger, just 1 1/2 years her senior, with whom she spent most of her childhood.  She moved to Montana at the age of 9, where she enjoyed riding horses and was described by her brothers as smart and cunning -- she learned how to tell on them very early on!

At the age of 16, Barbara became pregnant and gave birth to Hilari in 1971.  A young parent, Barbara worked to earn her GED and floral design degree.  She spent many years working for the Stanek family in Spokane as a key designer.

Barbara married Ron Anderson in 1976, and with that marriage, gained another daughter, Fashion, born 1975.  In 1978, Joslynn was born.  Barbara raised her girls to be independent, strong, capable, and educated women.  Hilari mentors novice educators in the Pacific Northwest and teaches mentor skills across the state of Washington.  Fashion is an optometric assistant for a vision clinic in Issaquah a and mom of two -- Micah and Kayla.  Joslynn is an Art Director for a prominent branding agency in Las Vegas and mom of two -- Riley and Finn.

In 1988, Barbara met her soon-to-be husband, Hap.  They married in 1990 in Chelan, WA, just after Hilari's high school graduation, and raised Joslynn together.  Barbara and Hap moved from Chelan to Bonney Lake, WA in 1992, and then to Beaverton, OR, in 1998.  

It was in Beaverton in 2002 that Hap and Barbara adopted Hap's grandson, Valdon, born 1997.  They lost Hap's daughter Teka (Valdon's mother) in 2007 and raised Valdon in Beaverton until 2012, when they moved to Las Vegas to be close to Joslynn and her husband Stuart.

Barbara lived an adventurous life, traveling to China and Fiji for work for a venture capitalist.  She and Hap loved riding their Harley Davidson motorcycles, taking numerous road trips to see sites around the southwest.  

Barbara loved people! She was an extrovert known for her hugs and for loving and caring for her grandchildren, whom she called her "bosses" -- Riley and Finn.  She enjoyed watching her grandchildren 3 days a week and creating many loving memories with them. She took great pride in her name "Nammie" given to her by Riley when she was first learning to speak. In recent years, she became fascinated with beading and was a fixture at Discount Beads in Las Vegas, where she worked and taught classes.

Barbara was preceded in death by her father David Brauer, mother MaryAlice Disotell, brother Rodger Brauer, and step-daughter Teka Cooil.  She is survived by her husband Hap Watkins, 76; her daughters Hilari Anderson, 48, (married to Robert Crowther, 52); Fashion Anderson, 45; Joslynn Hupe, 41 (married to Stuart Hupe, 41); her grandchildren Valdon Watkins, 23 (son of Teka Cooil); Micah Johnson, 23, and Kayla Anderson, 16, (children of Fashion); Riley Hupe, 4, and Finn Hupe, 1, (children of Joslynn and Stuart).  She also is survived by her brother David Brauer (father to Ladd Butler, Heidi Butler, and Sonny Brauer-Ogletree); Bill Brauer (married to Susan and father to Bill Brauer, Christopher Brauer, and January Brauer Paschall); Greggory LaRouxe (widower of brother Rodger); along with many other loving cousins and grand-nieces and nephews. 

A memorial in the Pacific Northwest will take place in the coming months.  In lieu of flowers, please send donations in Barbara's name to the Carcinoid Cancer Foundation at www.carcinoid.org.

 

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