Darrell Gene Watson

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Dr. Darrell Gene Watson of Belton, Texas, passed away June 15, 2025, at the age of 77.

The funeral service will be held at 10 am on Friday, June 20, 2025, at Dossman Funeral Home in Belton, Texas, with the burial service to follow at the Old Independence Cemetery in Brenham, Texas.

Darrell was born to Ralph Walter & Bessie Fay Watson on August 29, 1947, in Quanah, Texas. He graduated from Childress High School in 1965 and Sul Ross State Teachers College in 1969. He earned his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Texas A&M University in 1975. Darrell taught at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (UMHB) for more than 31 years, also serving as the Dean of the College of Humanities and Sciences during that time. He holds several patents and is one of only two professors at UMHB to be selected for the prestigious Piper Professor Award which recognizes superior teaching at the college level. Dr. Watson’s research played a large part in the development of an anticonvulsant drug for individuals with epilepsy, which was brought to market in 2008.

Dr. Watson was heavily involved in getting youth excited about science. He founded a Young Scholars summer workshop, sponsored by the National Science Foundation, which gave students about to enter high school the chance to learn math and science on a college campus working with college professors. He also taught Chem Camp, which gave elementary school students opportunities to gain hands-on experience with science experiments and chemical reactions. Dr. Watson started the Demos in the Dark program, where he and his team would travel to schools to demonstrate exciting chemical reactions and experiments.

At his retirement from UMHB, he was named Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and holds the Amy LeVesconte Professorship.

He married Patricia Ann McAlister August 30, 1968, in Alpine, Texas. Darrell and Trish lived in Belton for the past 34 years where he loved fishing, gardening, and coin collecting.

Darrell is survived by his wife Patricia and 3 sons; Mike and wife Brandy, Ron and wife Samantha, Allen and wife Lauren. He was the proud “Pa Pa” to Adrienne, Zachary, Rebekah, Amelia, Adelynn, Wyatt, and Elizabeth.

Darrell is preceded in death by his parents and younger brother Fred Watson.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Darrell's name to the Georgetown Palace Theatre    https://www.georgetownpalace.com/support/donate/   The Chemistry Department at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor    https://advance.umhb.edu  or The Seeing Eye https://seeingeye.org/you-can-help/ways-to-give/