Obituary of Jasper Joseph Watts

Dr. Jasper (Jack) Watts, 60, of Ontario, NY, died on May 28, 2020. He was born in Penn Yan, NY, the only son of Jasper and Josephine (Luppino) Watts. He attended Penn Yan Academy and went on to receive his BS in Recreation from SUNY Brockport, his MS in Human Resources from Rochester Institute of Technology and later his PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Minnesota. In 1995 he was married to the former Virginia Catala at Shemah Yisrael in Rochester, NY. Dr. Watts began his career in 1973 with the Yates County Parks and Recreation Department in Penn Yan, New York. There, he integrated programs for individuals with mental illness and intellectual disabilities. This was groundbreaking in these "early days" of advocacy and integration. Dr. Watts' contributions moved to Monroe County in the early 1980s. He worked for the City of Rochester's Bureau of Recreation and Community Services. During this tenure, Dr. Watts served as the Director of the Cobbs Hill Recreation Center, then moved to the ARC of New York State as a recreational therapist. Nearly every program Dr. Watts developed there was from "the ground-up" and became a valuable part of the program today. He utilized his skills to integrate ARC and mental health agency clients into mainstream athletic, social and cultural events. Dr. Watts won the 1990 Presidential Citation from the New York State Parks and Recreation Society for his work in advocacy. He went on to develop a medical needs assessment tool that became the protocol for the residential program at the ARC. In 1993, he also acted as Xerox Corporation's Assistant National Health Management Administrator where he assisted in the development of their health management program. Dr. Watts spent over 20 years at Rochester General Health System where he worked as a Primary Therapist at Rochester Mental Health. Dr. Watts was the 2007 recipient of the Dr. Hart Award at Rochester General Health System and was involved in research for advocacy, clinical care, and health promotion at a national level. He made significant scientific contributions towards the understanding and advancement of wellness for people with intellectual disabilities. Dr. Watts most recentlyworked as the Director for Clinical Services at Easter Seals Rochester and also as a consultant for CHE where he provided psychological services for seniors in the nursing home setting. Dr. Watts was a former member of the Irondequoit Concert Band and also attended Northridge Church in Webster. Jack always put God first in his life and would seek out the Lord when making decisions whether small or very important. He sought the counsel of God loving pastors and friends and was devoted to living a life to serve Jesus Christ who died on the cross to forgive our sins. Ephesians 5:2 And continue to walk surrendered to the extravagant love of Christ, for he surrendered his life as a sacrifice for us. His great love for us was pleasing to God , like an aroma of adoration - a sweet healing fragrance. Jack’s most powerful legacy was that he loved the lord with all his heart and all his soul and showed that through his love of others. He will be missed dearly. He leaves his beloved wife Virginia, his sister Mary Rose (Watts) Battaglia of Fairport, his nieces Josette (Ron) Thorington, Jayme (Adam) Jennings, both of Indiana and nephews Deven and Dion Watts, also of Fairport. He is also survivied by his beloved mother-in-law Teresa Catala, four brothers and sister-in-laws, along with many other nieces, nephews, relatives and numerous friends. A memorial service for Dr. Watts will be announced at a later date.