Obituary of Robert Lyle Watts

Bob Watts was born in Des Moines, Iowa on September 18th, 1938. His father was Lyle Vaughn Watts and his mother was Mildred H (Ware) Watts. His younger brother, Charlie Watts. In 1945 the family moved to Iowa Avenue in Washington, DC and eventually moved to Falls Church.  

He served in the United States Army from August 16th, 1957 to August 15th, 1960. He served as a Military Police Officer and was stationed in Korea. After his service, he worked for the US government until 1993.

He also served his community for 54 years as a volunteer fire fighter at the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company in Sterling, Virginia. Bob joined the department shortly after it was formed in 1966. Bob rose through the ranks to be Fire Chief for four years, between 1978 - 1980 as well as serving on the Board of Directors for a number of years. After his tenure of being Chief, he served as Chief Engineer up until 2022.

Bob was best known for his mechanical knowledge and skill and was the primary engineer responsible for maintenance and repair of the entire SVFC fleet for decades. He was also directly involved in the development of the technical specifications for new apparatus and equipment. 

Bob Watts was an institution in Sterling VFC and he leaves a legacy of contributions for over 50 years of service that helped shape the fire company for its earliest days.

Bob Watts was married to Bernadette Amos-Watts for 22 years. Together they had a beloved son, Merrell Amos-Watts. Bob Watts also had two more beloved children from a previous marriage; a son Robert "Bobby" Watts (Angela) and a daughter, Melissa "Missy" Watts Oertly (Jerry). From his children came four wonderful grandchildren. From oldest to youngest; they are Stephanie Watts, Samantha Oertly, Mills (Michael), Kelsey Oertly and Robby Watts.