Gardner Watts, the Suffern naturalist and historian who led generations on area hikes, died Tuesday, Nov. 5.
The retired Suffern teacher and tennis coach, "hiking historian," and dear friend to so many was 105.
Watts grew up in Suffern and started teaching at the high school in 1938, retiring in 1974. He served in the Army during World War II in Panama.
Watts credited his longevity to having good friends to cherish, abstinence from alcohol and tobacco, and involvement in lots of activities and hobbies "which keeps both the mind and the body active." He also said in a 2018 interview that it was important to seek the truth and embrace education so you could "separate the wheat from the chaff."
He also said he "met the right girl." He and his wife, Josephine, shared "64 years of happy marriage" before she died.
History and hiking were his passions. For decades, Watts led his Historical Hikers group through the wilds of Ramapo and beyond: Harriman State Park, Sterling Forest State Park, and Storm King were frequent routes.
Watts shared his expertise about wildflowers and the Indian shelters that still dot Harriman State Park. He could point out the Ramapo Mountain hiding places of Revolutionary War-era outlaw Claudius Smith. He mapped the trails through Bear Mountain and could find the Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps camps in Bear Mountain State Park. He had canoed and kayaked in the region’s various lakes.
Watts' hikes were a family affair. Josephine would join. Often one of his children would join, or lead hikes of their own.
Suffern Police Det. Craig Long, who serves as Suffern village and Rockland County historian, called his mentor "a real Renaissance man. You look at his life, it's amazing."
Watts served as Suffern village historian for decades and he and his wife founded the Suffern Village Museum in 1980. It is now known as the Josephine and Gardner Watts Museum. He insisted her name go first.
In 2012, the Historical Society of Rockland County gave Watts its Living Landmark Award.
Long said it was a great honor when Watts, in 2006, asked him to take over as Suffern Village historian, a post Watts had held for 48 years. Watts had been an influence on Long since childhood. "He told me as a kid to respect our past."
Watts remained a font of historical information for anyone who asked. "I could call him about a subject, and Gardner had either researched the topic or he had witnessed it," Long said.
"He was such a special person," said Suffern resident and writer Kevin Czerwinski, who lived across the street from Watts for the last 20 years. At age 100, Watts was still driving, playing tennis and remaining active. Watts would often leave little trinkets for Czerwinski's two children when they were young. "It is easy to see, having known him, why his was called the Greatest Generation. The things he accomplished and the life he lived were incredible."
"He was an encyclopedia of information about Suffern and the county," Czerwinski said. "He was treasure not only for Suffern but for the entire county."
Watts attended Suffern schools, where he credited a history teacher, Miss Wanamaker, with inspiring his love of learning. He graduated from Amherst College and Columbia University. Later, while teaching at Suffern High School, he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and he brought his family to Finland.
Besides his wife, Josephine, Watts was predeceased by his eldest son, Ken. He is survived by four children, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The family plans to hold a private life celebration sometime in the future, according to Scarr Funeral Home in Suffern, which is handling the arrangements.
A family statement encouraged mourners to remember Gardner and Josephine Watts this way: "Go have an adventure, be good stewards of the earth and continue to be kind."
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Gardner F. Watts (Gar) (d)
Contact
Nickname
- Gar
Family
Personal
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Gardner F. Watts (Gar) (d)
Professional
Employment Information
Former
- TeacherSuffern Public SchoolsStart:01/1937End:01/1975
Industry Information
Former
- K-12 Education: Public Administration
- K-12 Education: Subject: English
- K-12 Education: Subject: History
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Gardner F. Watts (Gar) (d)
Amherst
Reunion Class
- 1935
Graduation Year
- 1935
Major(s)
- History
Other Academic
Secondary Schools
- Suffern High School
Higher Ed
- Columbia University Graduate School of Arts & SciencesField of Study:EnglishDegree:Master of ArtsYear:1938
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Gardner F. Watts (Gar) (d)
Amherst
Volunteering
- Alumni FundRole:Associate AgentEnd:November 2019
Athletics
- Men's Tennis
Fraternity
- Kappa Theta Fraternity
Post-Graduate
Awards/ Recognition
- Fellow-Fulbright (Finland) 1959-1960
Community/ Professional Activities
- Suffern Village MuseumRole:Founder
- Suffern Historical HikersRole:Founder
- Suffern Historical HikersRole:Board of Directors
Publications/ Creative Works
- Author-'Local History & Resources'
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