Thank you!
Your support is sustaining the future of local news in our communities.

Ronald C. Watson

Ronald C. Watson

MILLERTON — Ronald C. Watson, a devoted father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, friend, and beloved member of his community, passed away leaving behind a lifetime of memories and a family who will forever carry his love with them.

Ronald was born on Dec. 3, 1948, at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington, Connecticut, to Roy Watson and Theresa Linderman. Throughout his life, Ronald was a man who valued the things that mattered most—family, loyalty, friendship, and time spent doing the things he loved.

Ronald was predeceased by his parents, Roy Watson and Theresa Linderman; his brother, Roy Watson II; his sisters, Patty Watson and Theresa Eiserman; his beloved granddaughter, Ellie Dunlop; and the love of his life, Audrey Watson. The love Ronald and Audrey shared was a defining part of his life, and there is comfort in knowing that after enduring the heartbreak of her absence, they are together once again.

Ronald’s greatest legacy can be found in the family he loved so deeply. His memory will live on through his two daughters, Rene (Rob) and Jody Watson; his grandchildren, Reneisha Vielman, Robert Haskell, Tatyana Watson, Christian Haskell, Kenya Castillo, William Haskell, Daja Williams, and Shantasia Thompson; their spouses; and his many cherished great-grandchildren. Each of them carries a piece of Ronald with them—in the stories they will tell, the traditions they will continue, and the memories they will hold close for generations to come.

He is also survived by his siblings, Edward Watson Sr., Al Watson, Thomas Watson, Larry Watson, Kathy Ahearn, Jackie Mangarillo, Wendy Wilms, Timothy Watson, and Richard Watson, Otto Eiserman, as well as many nieces and nephews who truly made his life better.

Ronald was a true outdoorsman and an avid hunter who found peace and happiness in nature. He was an active member of the Millerton Gun Club, where he enjoyed spending time among friends who shared his interests. And when it came to fishing, those who knew Ronald would tell you there was simply no one better. Whether he was hunting, casting a line, or sharing a story about the one that did—or didn’t—get away, those were the moments when Ronald was truly in his element.

He also loved a good flea market. There was something special about wandering through tables filled with old treasures, never knowing what he might find or what story might come along with it. The simple things in life brought Ronald happiness, especially when they could be shared with the people he loved.

Above everything else, Poppy was a family man. He was loyal to his core, loved deeply, and stood by the people who mattered to him. His family was his greatest pride, and his presence created the kind of memories that time can never erase. He was someone you could count on, someone whose stories will continue to be repeated around kitchen tables and family gatherings, and someone whose absence will be felt in countless moments.

To know Poppy was to know a man who lived life in his own way, loved his family fiercely, and left his mark on generations of people who were fortunate enough to call him Dad, Poppy, Uncle Ron, Sir, family, or friend.

Although saying goodbye to Poppy brings an immeasurable sadness, his life was so much bigger than this goodbye. It lives on in every fishing story, every hunting memory, every flea-market treasure, every family gathering, every laugh shared in his honor, and every piece of wisdom passed from one generation to the next.

Those who loved Ronald will miss his presence more than words can express, but the love he gave them does not end here. It remains in his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, siblings, family, and friends.

May Ronald rest peacefully, reunited with Audrey, Ellie, and all those he loved who went before him. His work here is finished, but his stories, his love, and his legacy will live on forever in the hearts of the family he treasured most.

A Celebration of Life will take place on Sunday, August 30, 2026 at 12:30 p.m. at Millerton American Legion Post # 178, 155 Route 44, Millerton, NY. Memorial contributions may be made to the Millerton Gun Club, P.O. Box 720, Millerton, NY 12546. To send an online condolence to the family, flowers to the Celebration of Life or to plant a tree in Ronnie’s memory, please visit www.conklinfuneralhome.com Arrangements have been entrusted to Scott D. Conklin Funeral Home, 37 Park Avenue, Millerton, NY 12546.

Lakeville Journal

Latest News

Sarah Margaret Paul

Sarah Margaret Paul

CORNWALL — Sarah Margaret Paul, July 2, 1936 – October 3, 2026.

As you read this obituary, please do so in the lovely British accent our mother, Sarah Paul retained all her life. But don’t be fooled by this posh exterior: mom preferred simple LL Bean shirts and pants, chain-sawed her own trees, and could change a back bicycle tire. She grew up under the class and gender strictures of mid-twentieth century England, warned away from anything remotely risky or “unladylike” by her mother, which led her to believe all her life that she lacked courage.

Keep ReadingShow less

Randolph Allard Hogan

Randolph Allard Hogan

AMESVILLE — Randolph Allard Hogan, 78,passed away on Sept. 30, 2026, after a valiant battle with cancer. Randy was born on Dec. 10, 1947 in Queens, New York.As a child, he developed a passion for cars. As a teen, he loved to read and listen to jazz. Randy loved movies and possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of film. He carried these interests, and many more, throughout his life. He relished a good conversation and a strong cup of coffee.

Randy spent much time during his childhood in Mexico City, where his mother, Elena Rubio Garcia, was born and he felt deeply connected to his heritage. His father, Lucien Marion Hogan, was born in Randolph, Massachusetts which is how Randy got his name.

Keep ReadingShow less

Richard Francis Knapp

Richard Francis Knapp

TORRINGTON — Richard Francis Knapp, 74, of Torrington, died Oct. 21, 2026, at the Valerie Manor in Torrington. He was the son of the late Theodore A. Knapp Sr. and Marion Margaret (Winters) Knapp. Richard was born in Waterbury on June 2, 1952.

In the late 1960’s he was employed at the Kent Milk Bar, as his first job. The Kent Milk Bar was owned and operated by his dad, Ted Knapp.It was an institution in town.He was a member of the 1966 KCS Region 1 Grade School Basketball Championship. Rick was an active Kent Boy Scout participating in all activities and functions and thoroughly enjoyed the scouting experience. His memory of places, people, and events in Kent historycould rarely be challenged.Hegraduated from the class of 1970, Housatonic Valley Regional High School.After high school, Richard pursued his education in Communications, at Graham Jr. College located in Boston, Massachusetts.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

Cornwall Historical Society celebrates Connecticut’s Black patriots

Cornwall Historical Society celebrates Connecticut’s Black patriots

On Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Cornwall Historical Society, author and genealogist John Mills will breathe new life into the stories of some of Connecticut’s more underappreciated patriots. The reason these heroes were forgotten? They were Black.

At a time when white colonists were fighting for their own liberty and political independence, many Black men who fought alongside them remained enslaved. Some risked their lives only to return to bondage. Though enslaved people were promised freedom from both sides of the Revolutionary War in exchange for their service, Great Britain, too, was still deeply dependent on slavery. For Black people in America, the war presented both extraordinary risks and uncertain paths to the freedom that white colonists were demanding for themselves.

Keep ReadingShow less
education

A sanctuary for second chances

A sanctuary for second chances

Stephanie Saetta runs Charlie Chicken Bones, a sanctuary in Salisbury.

Madi Long
You only get one or two of these soul connection dogs, so I do this in his honor.
— Stephanie Saetta

Stephanie Saetta has spent much of her life caring for others. A physician at White Plains Hospital, she has another calling at home in Salisbury — one that has four legs and a wagging tail. She runs Charlie Chicken Bone Sanctuary, a nonprofit dog rescue that brings dogs from overcrowded pounds and the streets of Texas to foster homes in northwestern Connecticut, where they can begin again.

The sanctuary is named for Charlie, the dog who taught her how special a bond between a person and rescue animal can be.

Keep ReadingShow less
our community

Big ideas come to Lenox for inaugural field festival

Big ideas come to Lenox for inaugural field festival

Hunter Runnette, founder and board chair of field, has spent years fostering arts and cultural programming in the Berkshires.

Provided

What do joy, gardening, artificial intelligence, the American experiment and the creative process have in common? Quite a lot, as it turns out, at least when some of the world’s most compelling thinkers get together to talk about them.

From Friday, Oct. 23, through Sunday, Oct. 25, Lenox, Massachusetts, will host the inaugural field festival, a three-day gathering of writers, artists, scholars and cultural figures at Shakespeare & Company. Billed as a festival of ideas, entertainment, learning and discovery, field brings together an impressive roster of voices to explore everything from the deeply personal to the profoundly political.

Keep ReadingShow less
community
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.