In Memoriam: Jim Watson

Jim and I knew each other for 56 years. We met at Nat’s pool room on Jerome Ave. in the Bronx in 1964. He wound up becoming part-owner. When that room closed, he became part-owner of another room near Yankee Stadium. Eventually, he wound up putting in 20 years with the NYC MTA, retiring around 2010.
He loved fishing, golf, billiards and hanging out with friends at several watering holes in the Riverdale section of the Bronx.
Due to many health issues over the past five or six years, he kept a very low profile since COVID. He would go through his contact list on his cell phone and call up many people every day just to see how they were doing. One day when he went to his favorite pizzeria to bring a pie home, he bought seven more pies for his neighbors.
Every year at the Verhoeven, Jimmy would get on the loud speaker and ask all the players to donate $5.00 for the table and ball cleaners and the cooks. He also got involved with raising money for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
There will be many people who will sorely miss him!