Services for Walter Edwin Watts Jr. of Shreveport, La., are11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 20 at St. Joseph Catholic Church.Entombment will follow in Forest Park Cemetery, St. Vincent Ave.Celebrants will be Father Peter Mangum and Monsignor MurrayClayton.

Visitation is today from 4-7 p.m. at Rose-Neath Marshall StreetFuneral Home.

Mr. Watts, died after a lengthy illness Oct. 18, 2004, at hisresidence. He was born to Walter Edwin Watts Sr. and ElizabethMoore Watts.

Mr. Watts was a native of Brookhaven and had been a resident ofShreveport since 1955. He received his BA in finance from theUniversity of Mississippi, where he was a member of Sigma AlphaEpsilon Fraternity, Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Fraternity, vicepresident of the Student Government Association and president ofhis class. For his loyal support of the university, he was selectedto the Hall of Fame. He later received his masters degree fromSouthern Methodist University. Walter served his country in theU.S. Air Force and was stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base. Hewas honorably discharged having attained the rank of Captain.Walter and his wife of 49 years, Rosemary Collins Watts, chose tomake their home in Shreveport after his service at Barksdale. Hebegan his business career with Lamar Life Insurance Agencyachieving the designations of Charted Life Underwriter andChartered Financial Consultant. His career spanned over 50 years inthe insurance and financial services industry. He later joined E.F.Hutton & Company and worked for its successor firms until hisretirement from Smith Barney in July of this year. Mr. Watts servedthe business community in his capacity as president of both theShreveport and Louisiana chapters of the Life Underwriter’sAssociation; president of the Shreveport Tax and Estate PlanningCouncil; and president of the Louisiana Chapter of CLU.

Mr. Watts was very involved in both his church and community.Among his many activities were serving as a Trustee of St. JosephCatholic Church, president of the Christus Schumpert Foundation,vice-president of the Shreveport Chamber of Commerce and boardmember of Loyola College Prep. In recognition of his service, hewas inducted into the Loyola College Prep Hall of Honor, andreceived the Humanitarian Award from the National Conference ofChristians and Jews.

Preceding him in death were his parents; and a granddaughter,Mary Elizabeth Thomas.

Survivors are his wife; his children, Walter E. Watts III andhis wife, Michele, Elizabeth Watts Thomas and her husband, Joel, J.Michael Watts and his wife, Laura, Carroll Watts Neal and herhusband, Jeff, and Catherine Watts Mitton and her husband, Mike,all of Shreveport; his grandchildren, Walter Edwin Watts IV,Elizabeth Ashley Watts and Justin Sanders Watts of Tulsa, Okla.,Brandon Thomas Madison and husband, Clint of Dallas, Texas, KathrynCollins Thomas, Elizabeth Harmon Thomas, Alice Elaine Watts,Christopher Michael Watts, Bridget Grace Watts, Eloise GoodrichWatts, Michael Joseph Mitton IV, Megan Rosemary Mitton, GriffinFrederick Neal and Hunter Samuel Neal, all of Shreveport;great-granddaughter, Elizabeth Myers Madison of Dallas; hisbrothers James Moore Watts and his wife, Debbie, of Lake Charles,La., and Peter Lutkin Watts and his wife, Barbara, of Brookhaven;and his brother-in-law, Robert Smith Collins and his wife,Catherine, of Nashville, Tenn.

Pallbearers will be Joel C. Thomas Jr., Michael J. Mitton III,Jeffrey B. Neal, J. Pat Beaird Jr., J. Peter Gaffney, John H.Haynes Jr., M.D., L. Frank Moore, William C. Peatross Jr., W.C.Rasberry Jr., George Don Rucker, M.D., Charles W. Salley and LacyH. Williams, M.D.

Serving as honorary pallbearers will be Ronald Bergeron, M.D.,James Burt, Jack Dean, Henry Goodrich Sr., L.M. Harrison, M.D.,William Haynie Sr., M.D., the Honorable J. Bennett Johnston Sr.,James McKelvey, Duncan McRae, Ernest Merklein, P.J. Mills, EdwardPowell, Ronald Sawyer, Delmar “Billy” Simmons, William Stephenson,Hoyt Tompkins and Donald Weiss.

The Watts family would like to express their sincereappreciation to Dr. Laura Campbell, Dr. William Haynie Jr., Dr.Alan Borne, Susan Sherwin, Amy Summers, Leigh Ann O’Brien and CarolCrooms for their compassionate care and concern. The family wishesto thank their many friends for their prayers, support and numerousacts of kindness during this time.

Memorials may be made to Christus Schumpert Foundation, One St.Mary Place, Shreveport, LA 71101 or Loyola College Prep Foundation,921 Jordan Street, Shreveport, LA 71101.

Mr. Watts, affectionately known as “Pi”, was a loving husband,father, grandfather, great grandfather, friend and ChristianServant. The guiding principles in his life included devotion tohis Lord, love of his family and dedication to his community andits charities.

“Well done good and faithful servant.”