Dr. James Oliver Watson's Obituary
Dr. James Oliver Watson passed away April 13, 2026.
Jim was born December 28, 1944, in Olympia, Washington to Eileen C. Beatty and Archibald H. Watson, joining sister Carole.
He received a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington, and a Ph.D in Economics from Purdue University.
He began his teaching career at Lake Forest College in the Chicago suburbs before joining the faculty at Millikin University in 1979. He taught there in the Tabor School of Business until 2007. After his initial retirement, he continued teaching part-time and ended his career as the interim dean in 2012.
Jim loved teaching and particularly enjoyed his International Business Consulting course, which he co-taught with other members of the faculty. Each year the students and faculty would work for an international company, developing a plan to solve real business problems. This often included a class visit to each company’ headquarters in places like the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Zambia and Italy.
He met his wife Patricia (Trish) Overmyer at Purdue University in 1968, where she first saw him reading the Wall Street Journal. They were married in Culver, Indiana on June 10, 1972. They have two sons James Matthew, living in Vienna, Austria with his three children Erica, Charlotte, and Henry; and Adam living in Chicago with his daughter Lila.
Jim and Trish frequently opened their homes and their hearts to international and exchange students, forming life-long connections with, Christian Glanz (Frankfurt, Germany) Andrey Martinov (Coeur d’Alene, Idaho), and Okan Uysal (Fethiye, Turkey).
Jim’s hobbies included hiking, biking, sailing on Lake Decatur, and kayaking on Puget Sound. He passed these pastimes onto his sons, taking them for many years on camping trips with the Boy Scouts. He also enjoyed cards. He played bridge with his colleagues for over 40 years, and family gatherings in Indiana always included time spent playing cards. He also loved traveling with his friends and family. Jim never lost his love for teaching and began tutoring at Brush College and Dennis after his retirement.
Survivors include stepsisters Lou Tamburlin, Diane Burgens, stepsister in-law, Oma Watson, and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Carole Nyland and her husband Richard, stepfather Carl Sulenes, and stepmother Gloria Watson.
Thank you to Imboden Creek Senior Living Center, and DMH Hospice for their care.
A celebration of life will be held on May 9, 2026, from 10am to noon in the lobby of the Tabor School of Business at Millikin University. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Dr. James O. Watson scholarship fund at Alumni and Development, 1184 W. Main, Decatur, Il 62522, or online at https://Millikin.edu/give now.
Condolences may be shared with the family at https://www.gracelandfairlawn.com.
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