Jim Watlington: A Retrospective

by Kelly Watlington Peterson, July 22, 2015

He was a sharpshooter in the Marines and served briefly before being honorably discharged for medical reasons. He met his first wife, Evelyn, at a young age between 18-20. They had their first son around age 20, James Reade Watlington, Jr. A couple of years later they had a daughter, Elizabeth Watlington and then quite a few years later John Russell Watlington was born. I'm not sure of the separation time frame. Over the course of the years he lived in Kentucky, Colorado, and Tennessee spending most of his life in the state of Tennessee.

He worked several jobs which included a position in broadcast engineering and a position at the V.A in Murfreesboro., which is where he met my mother Betty Parker. They married June 26, 1980 and I was born in April of 1982 (Kelly Lee). One of the most important things in my dad's life was his love of music. He started piano lessons around 9 years of age. He told his teacher that he wanted to learn to play the organ and she told him that he never would. Telling my dad not to do something was as good as daring him to do it so he learned sometime later to play the organ and quite well. He was exceptionally gifted at playing both. He could play by ear and some of his favorite hymns were How Great Though Art and I Love To Tell the Story. He played the piano for many different churches over the course of the years and started playing in church as young as 9. He would sing to me often when I was a little girl. He would sing My Girl, Only You, and most memorably for me Let Me Call You Sweetheart.

He also loved photography much like his father John Russell Watlington and always took the family photos and videos. He was also very much into technology. Whenever new technology came out he had to get whatever that item was and learn the ins and outs of exactly how it worked.

When I was born, my dad chose to stay at home to take care of me. He used any free time he had to be involved in politics. He was involved heavily in Bart Gordon's first bid and also subsequent bids for the U.S. House seat in Murfreesboro where we lived. Bart Gordon's first bid was in 1984 when I was two years old. He carried me on his shoulders while he was out campaigning. He was also very involved with the school board and the Superintendent races as well. One of the things he worked to change was providing breakfast at school, which raised test scores substantially.

He volunteered at the NHC nursing home in Murfreesboro for 10 plus years playing the piano. He would play all of the olden favorites from the residents' younger years. They loved having him play for them and he also helped them out with their bell choir. One older lady was all alone in her life and she looked forward to him coming every single week to play. In 1999 he went for his realtor's license and was a realtor from 1999-2003 when he died. He was different from most realtors in that he was honest. He wouldn't lie and tell a couple that they could get credit when he already knew their chances were low. He also didn't push houses on his clients. He searched high and low to find the right house for the right couple.

He has three grandchildren through his oldest son. James recently applied to medical school. Erin is currently in nursing school, and Joel is completing high school via homeschooling. I'm sure he has other grandchildren through the other two children, but I have no relationship with either one to give you info on this. I married my husband in May 2008. My dad obviously wasn't physically present, but he at least had the opportunity to meet my husband prior to his death and gave his stamp of approval. Though he wasn't present at my wedding he was honored after I walked down the aisle by the playing of Tim McGraw's My Little Girl. A song that describes perfectly the relationship we had.  His youngest grandchild is my daughter Jessica Ann Peterson. She was born in October 2011. Though he will never know her, I know she would have had him completely wrapped around her little fingers had she been given the chance to know him. He was an amazing dad to me and is missed very much.

At the organ, ca. 1958	Jim, Betty and Kelly, 1983

ca. 1995 at a nursing home volunteer banquet	Christmas 2002

with daughter Kelly, August 2003