Philip Clyde Watson, Jr., passed away unexpectedly on Monday, January 26, 2026, at his home in Baden, MD. He was 70 years young.
Phil is survived by his loving spouse and partner of 40 years, James Sonick (Jim), his siblings Patty Dolesh (Richard) of Baden, Ruth Tabb (Jim) of Baden, and Carolyn Watson (Ginny) of Rehoboth Beach, DE; his devoted dog Roxie; several nieces and nephews; and many many friends who usually cringed, but somehow enjoyed his wicked and wry sense of humor. Phil is predeceased by his parents, Philip Clyde Watson, Sr., and Betty Young Watson, also of Baden.
Phil was born at Providence Hospital in Washington, DC, and grew up in the Baden area, spending countless summers cutting tobacco and working in those fields, and dreading every minute of it. He graduated from Frederick Douglass High School in Upper Marlboro, MD, in 1973 and attended St. Mary’s College in Maryland and then the University of Maryland, before realizing that academic life was just not meant for him. He found one of his true callings in the Washington, DC, bar scene, where he spent many years bartending at Timberlakes in Dupont Circle, before finding his niche and going to computer school and working as a professional in that field. He was a long-time employee of the National Association of Manufacturers in Washington, DC, where he retired in 2014.
Phil was known for his unparalleled knowledge of all kinds of music and his love of theater. He could sing the whole soundtrack of Rent without missing a beat, and he could name that tune in three or four notes of any rock song of the ’60s and ’70s. He and Jim spent most of their lives living in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, DC, where they had so many great friends and good times. They moved there in 1986 and moved back to Phil’s hometown of Baden in 2018, where they enjoyed the country life with Roxie, sitting on their screened porch with a beautiful view of the woods and nature, attending local theater in La Plata, and visiting the Amish markets.
Please join us for a memorial gathering from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm with the memorial service beginning at 12:00 pm on Saturday, February 28, at the Brinsfield Funeral Home, 30195 Three Notch Road, Charlotte Hall, MD 20622, followed by a luncheon at the Jameson-Harrison American Legion Post 238, 6265 Brandywine Road, Hughesville, MD 20637. All are welcome.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation in Phil’s name to the Baden Volunteer Fire Department, 16608 Brandywine Road, Brandywine, MD 20613 (https://www.badenvfd.com). They were so wonderful to Phil, and your donations are very much appreciated.
Condolences may be made to the family at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com.
Arrangements by Brinsfield Funeral Home & Crematory, P.A., Charlotte Hall, MD.
