Saturday, July 21, 2012 11:00 A.M.
BELLE-TERRACE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 2454 Golden Camp Road Augusta, Georgia
Reverend Melvin Lowry, Pastor Reverend Rufus Copeland, Officiating

ATTORNEY JOHN DAVID WATKINS, 82 years old, entered into rest on Wednesday, July 4, 2012 at his residence. Atty. Watkins was born in Newberry, South Carolina, on June 21, 1930, to the late Elliott and Winnie B. (Daniel) Watkins. He was the last surviving offspring of their union. It seems appropriate that he passed on Independence Day given he stressed the importance of being independent to his children.
John D. Watkins was born in Newberry, South Carolina in the segregated south. He was the 12th o f thirteen children. It was a time when the slightest infraction by an African-American male could cost him his life. Between his older siblings and his many aunts and uncles, John Watkins was led to believe he could accomplish anything! He was an honor student and athlete in high school earning him an athletic scholarship to Savannah State College where he sang in the choir, and was Dean of Pledges and President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He graduated from Savannah State with honors, and then served in the U.S. Army and fought in the Korean Conflict. Upon leaving the Army, he attended Howard University Law School, in Washington, D.C., where many of the best and brightest African American lawyers of his generation were educated, including his classmates Douglas Wilder (1st African-American Governor o f Virginia), and Vernon Jordan (Former Head o f the Urban League and advisor to Bill Clinton). While at Howard he was part of a group o f young attorneys trained to return to small southern towns to fight social injustice and racial inequality. He and his young wife, Charlotte Hornsby Watkins, relocated from Washington, D.C. to Augusta, GA, where they began a family raising five boys and two girls. He soon began to publish, The Weekly Review, a newspaper that served Augusta's Black community.
Representing approximately 600 plaintiffs, John Watkins and Jack Ruffin filed the petition to desegregate the Richmond County School System. One of the defining moments of John Watkins' life occurred in 1968 when the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. asked him on short notice to arrange a meeting in Augusta at Beulah Grove Baptist Church. (The event surrounding Dr. King's visit greatly impacted him and as result, decades later, he wrote a book entitled, King's Last Visit to Augusta.) Another highlight was meeting President Lyndon Johnson on the tarmac o f the Augusta Airport weeks before he signed the historic Civil Rights Act of 1964. Later, he and two other prominent Black businessmen opened two grocery stores to service the Black community. He was instrumental in the development o f Bellemeade subdivision and a founding member of Belle-Tferrace Presbyterian Church. Not bad for a poor black kid from Newberry, S.C.
As a father, John Watkins instilled in his children a thirst for knowledge, a love of reading and all types of music, and a willingness and courage to stand up for their convictions. He also taught them to be generous, and always to offer a helping hand to people in need. Keenly intelligent and always hard working, he was sometimes "down", but never out" --adapting, changing, making the best any circumstance with which he was confronted. He was not without his faults, but was energetic, unafraid, confident, and determined to live life on his terms, sometimes stumbling, but always moving forward, never giving up.
He loved debating, playing golf, nice cars, honey buns and cinnamon rolls! Ever dapper and meticulously groomed, he had a fondness for hats, crisp white shirts, and his red slacks. A lifelong regimen o f daily exercise and good genes contributed to his youthful appearance. Indeed, he was a handsome man! Like his mother, of whom he often spoke, John Watkins was an excellent southern cook. He delighted in preparing and serving big breakfasts for his family. His biscuits were legend-light, flaky, buttery--and fought over by his children. Scratch banana pudding (with meringue) and rum cakes were two of his favorite things to prepare for others. He read the newspaper every day.
He is survived by Charlotte Watkins to whom he was married for many years and his children, Crystal Watkins, State Court Judge David D. Watkins (Angela), Michael, Jack (Kimberly), Harriette, Leonard (Collette), and E. Brian (Kendall). He is also survived by fifteen grandchildren (in birth order: Daniel, Lydia, Solomon, Christina, Maurion, Micheala, Miriam, Michael, Camille, Charlotte, Mikayla, Brian, Miah, Ansley, and Reese), and one great-grandson (Caleb), and numerous other loving relatives, supportive neighbors and friends.

MUSICAL PRELUDE

(Dwclew

Mrs. Hettie F. Copeland

OPENING REMARKS, PRAYER AND SCRIPTURE

Reverend Rufus Copeland
G a r d n er G rove B a p t ist C h u rch

POETRY READING

Ms. Christina Watkins

MUSICAL SELECTION/SILENT READING OF THE OBITUARY

REMEMBRANCES FROM THE COMMUNITY

Dr. M allory M illender

REMEMBRANCES FROM THE FAMILY

Mr. Leonard Watkins

WORDS OF COMFORT

Reverend Rufus Copeland

BENEDICTION

- REPAST The Watkins Family will greet you at a Reception in the Fellowship Hall
immediately following the service.
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We wish to thank you all for your condolences and sym pathy during this time. We especially want to acknowledge the Belle-Terrace Presbyterian and the Gardner Grove Baptist Church Families.

IF YOU CAN KEEP YOUR HEAD WHEN ALL ABOUT YOU ARE LOSING THEIRS AND BLAMING IT ON YOU;
IF YOU CAN TRUST YOURSELF WHEN ALL MEN DOUBT YOU, BUT MAKE ALLOWANCE FOR THEIR DOUBTING TOO: IF YOU CAN WAIT AND NOT BE TIRED BY WAITING, OR, BEING LIED ABOUT, DON'T DEAL IN LIES, OR BEING HATED DON'T GIVE WAY TO HATING,
AND YET DON'T LOOK TOO GOOD, NOR TALK TOO WISE;
IF YOU CAN DREAM--AND NOT MAKE DREAMS YOUR MASTER; IF YOU CAN THINK--AND NOT MAKE THOUGHTS YOUR AIM, IF YOU CAN MEET WITH TRIUMPH AND DISASTER AND TREAT THOSE TWO IMPOSTORS JUST THE SAME:. IF YOU CAN BEAR TO HEAR THE TRUTH YOU'VE SPOKEN TWISTED BY KNAVES TO MAKE A TRAP FOR FOOLS, OR WATCH THE THINGS YOU GAVE YOUR LIFE TO, BROKEN, AND STOOP AND BUILD'EM UP WITH WORN-OUT TOOLS;
IF YOU CAN MAKE ONE HEAP OF ALL YOUR WINNINGS AND RISK IT ON ONE TURN OF PITCH-AND-TOSS,
AND LOSE, AND START AGAIN AT YOUR BEGINNINGS, AND NEVER BREATHE A WORD ABOUT YOUR LOSS:
IF YOU CAN FORCE YOUR HEART AND NERVE AND SINEW TO SERVE YOUR TURN LONG AFTER THEY ARE GONE, AND SO HOLD ON WHEN THERE IS NOTHING IN YOU EXCEPT THE WILL WHICH SAYS TO THEM: "HOLD ON!"
IF YOU CAN TALK WITH CROWDS AND KEEP YOUR VIRTUE, OR WALK WITH KINGS--NOR LOSE THE COMMON TOUCH, IF NEITHER FOES NOR LOVING FRIENDS CAN HURT YOU,
IF ALL MEN COUNT WITH YOU, BUT NONE TOO MUCH: IF YOU CAN FILL THE UNFORGIVING MINUTE
WITH SIXTY SECONDS' WORTH OF DISTANCE RUN, YOURS IS THE EARTH AND EVERYTHING THAT'S IN IT,
AND--WHICH IS MORE--YOU'LL BE A MAN, MY SON!
- R udyard K ipling -