West Windsor-Plainsboro South's First Principal Passes Away At 88

The first principal at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South has passed away, according to an obituary provided by his family this week.

Ronald Watson, aged 88, passed away peacefully on Thursday, January 25, 2018, in Burlington, NC. He was a graduate of Fitchburg (MA) High School Class of ’46, Trinity College Class of ’50, and Springfield College master’s degree program in ’54 and served in the Army’s Counter Intelligence Corps in the Korean War.

Ron was a gifted educator; over the course of three decades, he served as history teacher, coach, and principal and opened several new high schools in New Jersey, including West Windsor-Plainsboro (South) High School. He was elected president of New Jersey Association of Secondary Principals and served as the first president of New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association.

After more than 30 years in public education, Ron and his wife, Carolyn, retired to North Carolina. Among his many retirement activities, Ron was a certified Master Gardener, participated in the U.S. Dept. of Education School Recognition Program, was appointed Guardian Ad Litem for several teenagers in need, served as president of North Carolina Civil War Roundtable and as editor of their newsletter, and, in 1992, was awarded the 704th Daily Point of Light in the “Thousand Points of Light” Program by President George H. W. Bush in recognition of his outstanding community service. He published two books pertaining to the Civil War and was working on a third at the time of his passing.

Ron and Carolyn were married for 67 years; have five children, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. They were residents of the Twin Lakes Community in Burlington, NC. A memorial service will be held later in the spring. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ron’s memory to Doctors without Borders: https://events.doctorswithoutborders.org/campaign/In-Memory-of-Ron-Watson.