W. Lorraine Watkins passed away peacefully with family at her side on Wednesday, Oct. 14. She was 89.
Lorraine was born in 1931 in Lawton Oklahoma to Gladys Cooke Watkins and Charles Kendall Watkins.
The family relocated to Tulsa, where Lorraine spent most of her childhood and graduated from Tulsa High School.
She earned a BS in Zoology from the University of Tulsa and an MD from the University of Oklahoma School of Medicine.
She did her medical residency in pediatrics at Grady Memorial Hospital and Egleston Hospital for Children, both in Atlanta.
After completing residency, she served as Chief of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at the Emory University School of Medicine.
She worked tirelessly and was passionate about delivering medical care to underserved populations.
After several years of private practice, she returned to medical school at Emory to study Psychiatry with a specialization in Child Psychiatry. She finished her career in private practice and retired to the shores of Lake Lanier in Dawson County.
Lorraine never married nor had children, but she did have a deep love of family. She enjoyed boating and the water and cherished visits to the lake from her brother, cousins, nephews, grandniece, and grandnephews. She also had a love of animals, including her many beloved pets, and especially birds, of which she was quite knowledgeable. She was a scientist at heart and had a sincere appreciation of the planet and its many wonders. She also had a passion for genealogy and spent countless hours researching and documenting her family’s history. She left behind an extensive collection of writings, letters and other artifacts that go back several generations.
In retirement, Lorraine became very active with the Dawson County Democratic Committee where she formed many lasting friendships. She was instrumental in restarting the Dawson County Democrats which had been defunct for many years. Lorraine developed the group’s website and designed its first logo. She served on the Executive Committee and was awarded the Betty Turner Leadership Award in 2011 which is on display at the Dawson County Courthouse. She was an activist and encouraged her committee to become more active, which they did. She will be sorely missed by the group.
Lorraine was preceded in death by her brother, David Watkins.
She is survived by nephew, Thomas Watkins and wife, Dawn Day of Marietta; nephew, Greg Watkins and wife, Tammie, of Chico, Calif.; cousin, Betty Ogden of Pahrump, Nev.; cousin, Anne Jenkins and husband, Charles, of Robersonville, N.C.; cousin, Pat Watkins and wife Denise of Pittsboro, N.C.; grandnieces/grandnephews, David Watkins of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Alex and Anna Watkins of Marietta, Georgia; and cousins, once removed Kendall Jenkins of Baltimore, Maryland; John Thomas Jenkins of Robersonville, N.C.; Mark Ogden, of Atascadero, Calif.; and Paul Ogden, lives in Oxnard, Calif.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Dawson County Humane Society, 633 Martin Road, Dawsonville, GA 30534.
Interment is private.
Arrangements are by Southern Cremations and Funerals.
Dawson County News
Dec. 16, 2020