Obituaries

Walter Guy Watkins Jr.

Photo of Walter Guy Watkins Jr.
On Monday, September 26, 2016, Walter Guy Watkins, Jr., 72, of Hot Springs, left this earth and joined his father, Walter Guy Watkins, Sr., of Hope, and his high school sweetheart and wife, Sandra Gaines Watkins, also of Hot Springs, in Heaven. Guy leaves behind his mother, Julia Watkins of Hope; his brother, David Watkins (Ileene) of Little Rock; his sons, Walter Guy Watkins, III ("Trey") (Kimberly) of Lovettsville, Virginia, and David Watkins (Heather) of Raleigh, North Carolina; his step-children, Jay (Jessica) Arnold of Hot Springs, JaNan Arnold Davis of Maumelle, and Jill Arnold Fletcher of Cabot; and his grandchildren, Guy, Elizabeth, Taylor, Emme, Riley, Stokes, Tinsley, Ella Fu, Camden, Alli, and Tyce. He also leaves behind his beloved dog, Macy, his constant companion. He will be missed by many friends in Hot Springs, Arkansas and Siler City, North Carolina, whom he regarded as family. Guy was born on September 20, 1943 in Hope, Arkansas, where he graduated high school in 1962 before going to the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. There he was a Sigma Chi, and graduated in 1966 with a bachelor's degree in business. He later moved to Siler City, North Carolina where he raised his sons and was a founding partner of Perfection Equipment, a company into which he put his heart and soul. After his retirement, they returned to Arkansas, where Guy and Sandra loved to spend time enjoying friends and family, golf, long boat rides, reading, and watching football. Guy was known for his love of the Arkansas Razorbacks and his knack for giving nicknames to people which, more often than not, stuck. Guy worked as a volunteer at Garvan Gardens in Hot Springs and loved to give tours by golf cart at the garden. Guy had a wonderful sense of humor, but an even greater sense of humanity which was seen in his characteristic spontaneous acts of kindness and generosity. If you were ever his friend, you were forever his friend. Brother Chuck Devane will officiate a celebration of Guy's life during a graveside service at Memory Gardens in Hope, Arkansas on Wednesday, September 28, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. Herndon Pharr Funeral Home of Hope will handle the arrangements. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you make a donation in Guy's memory to Lake Hamilton Baptist Church, Garvan Woodland Gardens, the I Love LK Memorial Fund (honoring Lila Kate McAlister), all in Hot Springs, or a charity of your choice. A gathering of family and friends at Guy's home in Hot Springs will follow the service at 2 pm. Sign our online register book at www.pharrfuneralhomes.com

Published September 28, 2016

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