La Conner mourns death of Rich Watkins, coach and fisherman

In his all-too-short life, La Conner's Rich Watkins created a legacy to last generations.

Consider pre-season baseball practices now under way at La Conner High School, where two decades ago Watkins was the team's head coach, an ideal role for the former Spokane area sports standout.

His influence is still felt by current Braves' coach Jeremiah LeSourd, whom Watkins mentored.

"He prepared me for the job," said LeSourd, who along with Andy Otis has since coached the baseball team to numerous post-season appearances. "Rich's coaching style was that of a teacher. He stressed to the players the importance of nutrition and the discipline of life. He cared about the kids, and he cared about the school."

Watkins, universally admired in and around La Conner, died Feb. 3 at age 58, just over 35 years after having undergone a bone marrow transplant to treat a condition in which his body had stopped producing red blood cells.

Watkins was a patient of late Nobel Prize winner Dr. Don Thomas of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, considered the Father of Bone Marrow Transplantation.

"That doctor never forgot who he was," said La Conner resident Bill Cook, among those who filled Maple Hall for a Feb. 16 celebration of Watkins' life.

It's understandable that Watkins would be unforgettable. Those who knew him best marveled at his unwavering optimism and tireless energy.

"He taught us to celebrate each day because tomorrow is not a given," reflected Jaime Stroebel-Reinstra, "and to live each day to the fullest."

She and her husband, La Conner fire chief Aaron Reinstra, met Watkins and his wife, Karen, in 1999 through the La Conner Preschool Co-Operative. That bond strengthened when the Reinstras' older daughter, Ashlyn, was undergoing a stem cell transplant.

"Rich and Karen were great support and sources of information to us," Stroebel-Reinstra said. "Rich was our inspiration of hope that bone marrow transplant patients could live a long healthy life."

For Watkins, life began Nov. 16, 1965, at K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base in Michigan. Growing up, he developed a love for baseball, fishing and boating.

Watkins lettered in football and baseball at Mead High School in Spokane, where La Conner legend Landy James had taught and coached before being recruited back home by then-school board members Gail Thulen and Roger Nelson. Future state champion volleyball coach Suzanne Marble was also a Mead student.

"My brother," Marble recalled, "was a year younger than Rich and remembers him as a good athlete and who loved life and was outgoing."

From Mead, Watkins enrolled at Spokane Falls Community College, where he played baseball. He then transferred to Eastern Washington University, where he met Karen, his wife of 31 years, and earned degrees in marketing and education.

Watkins parlayed his marketing background into a private sector job, but it wasn't long before he recognized his true calling was in teaching and coaching. Coincidentally, it was Marble – now retired from a stellar 30-year coaching career – who brought him on at La Conner Schools.

"I hired Rich back in the day when I was the middle school athletic director and I could tell he loved kids more than sports," Marble told the Weekly News. "He was the boys' basketball coach for years and the kids not only learned how to play basketball, but they also learned what it meant to be a good teammate.

"I remember how excited he was," she said, "when he had a player who made his first basket in two years and he was so excited to share the news."

Watkins was equally enthusiastic when coaching high school baseball.

"Rich loved working with the kids," said retired athletics and curriculum director Peg Seeling, "and they loved him back. His commitment was a great asset to our program."

The eulogy at Watkins' memorial service was delivered by brother-in-law Ron Horner. He captured the essence of Rich Watkins in a single sentence.

"He had a deep love of family, a passion for sports and was devoted to making a positive impact in the lives of others," Horner said.

For La Conner barber Tony Holt, that impact was most evident on the water, where Watkins was renowned as a fisherman.

"My fondest memories of fishing are with Rich Watkins," said Holt. "He was always so calm. I remember we broke down out at Deception Pass once and started drifting out toward the San Juans. Rich just said: 'No worries, Holt, we'll be alright.'

"He was one of the best fishermen I knew," Holt said, "and the funny thing is he didn't like to eat fish. He was the most competitive guy I've ever known. If you caught a fish, he wouldn't leave until he caught one. Or two."

Watkins' greatest pride was in his family. His and Karen's union produced three children; daughters Katie and Ashley, the latter of whom would become the youngest director of football operations in the Pac-12 Conference at Washington State University; and a son, Dylan.

"When Dylan was born in 1996," said Horner, "Rich was proud to learn he was the 99th child born to a bone marrow transplant recipient. His devotion to his family was unparalleled."

Watkins' extended family, of course, was comprised of pretty much everyone he ever met – whether in classrooms, on the water or at various sports venues.

People were drawn to his boundless enthusiasm and peerless courage in coping with the health challenges he faced through much of his life.

"He lived each day with a smile and cared so much for all our students," Marble said. "I'm a better person for knowing Rich and I'm happy that I got to call him a friend."