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- Find A Grave Memorial # 171367533
Althine B. Watson, a dedicated teacher known for her no-nonsense approach, died Tuesday at Homestead Nursing Home in Kittery after a brief illness. She was 92.
Born in Bath, a daughter of Leonard M. and Grace Small Munsey, she graduated from Morse High School in 1925 and Gorham Normal School in 1927.
Mrs. Watson began her teaching career in 1927 at the Wells Division 4 School in Moody, teaching grades 1-8 in one room. After three years she moved to the Ogunquit Village School where she taught grades 1 and 2 and was principal until 1940. Beginning in 1950, she taught sixth grade in York for four years.
She was selected to teach in the English department at Wells Junior High in 1958. She then served as a substitute in Wells, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, York and North Berwick.
Mrs. Watson, who taught 37 years not counting breaks from the profession, was known as strict but caring.
"You went into her class and you learned. She stayed with you until you learned," said her son, Leonard Wyman.
Mrs. Watson often took on the hard-to-teach classes. Her son recalls how, in 1958, his mother taught a particularly difficult class of 41 seventh-graders who'd had seven different teachers in 12 weeks. Mrs. Watson finished the year.
She became so well-known for handling problem children that she began working as a troubleshooter for the school district's superintendent.
She retired in 1972. But Mrs. Watson didn't stop working and didn't slow down.
She served Ogunquit as town clerk for 10 years, on the budget committee for 10 years and as chairman of the Wells 300th anniversary publicity committee and budget committee. She also formed a Campfire and Girl Scout troop, and served as president of the Wells-Ogunquit Parents and Teachers Association, bringing driver education into the school.
Mrs. Watson was member of the Ogunquit Baptist Church and the Ladies Aid. She served as president of the York Audubon Club, and was a member of the Maine Retired Teachers Association, American Association of Retired Persons, Ogunquit Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary, Camp Waban, Laudholm Farm, Kennebunk Animal Shelter, Ogunquit Women's Club, Wells-Ogunquit Historical Society, Ogunquit Rotary Club and Ogunquit Art Association.
"She was going all the time, doing something," said her son. "When she wanted to do something, she took the bull by the horns and got to it."
Mrs. Watson married Willis Watson in 1958 and moved to Kennebunk. She worked as clerk for her husband, who owned and ran the Kennebunk Star. He died in 1963.
At various times from 1927 to 1998 she wrote articles for the Portland Press Herald and Maine Sunday Telegram, Biddeford Journal, Portsmouth Herald, York Weekly and York County Coast Star.
She worked summers for the Poland Spring House and the Lookout Hotel as a waitress, and clerked in the Ogunquit Post Office. She also was a bookkeeper for the Ogunquit Pharmacy and Maxwell's Store.
Surviving are a son, Leonard W. Wyman of Ogunquit; two stepsons, David Watson of Aurora, Colo., and Hubert Watson of Saco; and a stepdaughter, Dorothy Pillsbury of Kennebunk.
Visiting hours will be 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at Bibber Memorial Chapel, 111 Chapel Road, Wells, where a funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday with the Rev. David Clark officiating. Burial will be in Ocean View Cemetery, Wells.
Portland Press Herald (ME) - Wednesday, November 3, 1999
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Abt 1912 - 1999 (87 years)
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