Anne Marie (Raab) Watson, age 81, died in her sleep of pulmonary failure at the Skilled Care center at Wingate at Silver Lake in Kingston on April 9.  She was most recently widowed on March 4, 2010, with the death of her husband of sixty years, Kenneth E. Watson, Jr.

Born in Memphis, Tenn., she was the daughter of Arthur William Raab of Indianapolis, Ind. and Aileen (Clyde Downey) Raab of Houston, Tex.  She spent her early years in Birmingham, Ala. until the family moved to New Rochelle, N.Y.  As a young girl, Mrs. Watson modelled for Norman Rockwell during the time the artist lived in New Rochelle.  Later while in high school, she worked for the Disney Studios as an animation color artist.  

Following her graduation from New Rochelle High School, Mrs. Watson attended Western College (now part of Miami University) in Oxford, Ohio.  Following World War II, she and Ken Watson were married in New Rochelle and moved to Philadelphia where they lived until Mr. Watson completed his education.  From there, the couple returned to New Rochelle.

In 1956 the family moved to Wilton, Conn. where they lived and raised their family.  Mrs. Watson was very active in the Wilton Community Garden Club and The Wilton Playshop, as a set and props assistant backstage.  An avid skier, she also worked at the Ski Hut in Wilton and the family enjoyed a ski house near the Sugarbush resort in Warren, Vt.  

Mrs. Watson joined Homequity (now a part of PHH Mortgage) as a Corporate Relocation Specialist, where she worked assisting the relocation of executives and their families.  During these years she earned her license as a residential real estate appraiser.  

At retirement, the Watsons settled on the shores of Lake Candlewood in Brookfield, Conn.  A member of the Brookfield chapter of the Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO), Mrs. Watson gave countless hours to volunteering for the organization.

Mrs. Watson had a passion for travel and with a group of friends, visited Aruba, Bermuda, the British Isles, and the Netherlands among other locations.

She leaves her son, Kenneth E. (Terry) Watson, III and his wife, Caroline M. (BeBe) Watson, of Duxbury;  her daughter, the late Anne Katharine Noble; three grandchildren, Christopher Ian Watson of New Milford, Conn., Richard Dean Watson of Brookfield, Conn., and Kenneth E. (Kip) Watson IV of Duxbury; and one great-grandchild, Anne Katharine Watson of New Milford, Conn.

A memorial service will be held in the spring at the Brookfield Congregational Church, Brookfield, Conn.  Contributions may be made in Mrs. Watson’s memory to Doctors Without Borders USA, P.O. Box 5030, Hagerstown, MD 21741.