He was Bay Citys gem: Terry Watson, 72, dies of COVID-19 – MLive.com

BANGOR TWP, MI Terry Watson, former Bay City police officer, Bangor Township supervisor, Bay City Fireworks Festival president, and overall promoter of Bay County, has died from coronavirus.

He died yesterday at 5:36 p.m. from complications of COVID, said Doug Clark, current president of the Bay City Fireworks Festival and good friend of Watsons, on Saturday, Nov. 7. Watson was 72 years old.

Over the years, most people who knew him know he had a lot of health issues," Clark said. "He was very, very cautious over the last six, eight, 10 months. He definitely erred on the side of being overly cautious, but unfortunately, COVID still caught up with him.

Watson was born and raised in Bay City. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in Vietnam in 1968-69. After working for General Motors for a year or so upon his return to the States, Watson attended a police academy and joined the Bay City Police Department, serving with the agency from November 1971 to August 1998.

He also served as Bangor Township supervisor from 2004 to 2015, announcing his retirement from the position in May of that year.

He was, as they say, Bay Citys gem, said his widow, Peggy Watson. He was very, very cautious (regarding COVID). He had actually moved out of our house because I work every day and I work with families that provide essential services so we provide childcare for nurses and doctors and med tech people and home health care workers. Because I was going to be in that environment every day, he knew he would be exposed indirectly through me.

Watson began living outside of his family home with a sister in Bay County.

He was very strong and very tough, but he knew if he got it he probably wouldnt walk away from it, Peggy Watson said.

Terry Watson took a COVID-19 test on Oct. 26 and received word he was positive the next day, Peggy Watson said.

He thought he could battle it from home, where he was living with his sister, but his symptoms werent going away body aches and pains and a little bit of difficulty breathing, Peggy Watson said. In true Terry Watson fashion, he drove himself to the hospital and he never came back.

Watson arrived at McLaren Bay Region hospital on Oct. 31. In addition to his widow, Watson is survived by two adult sons and an adult daughter.

The annual fireworks fest that takes place across three days around the Fourth of July was started by the Bay City Fraternal Order of Police in 1962 and blossomed due largely to Watsons efforts, Clark said.

Terry Watson when he served as supervisor of Bangor Township.

Terry took over fundraising duties as a rookie (officer) and just took the ball and ran with it, Clark said. He built what you see today. Its a direct result of what he did.

In 1982, Watson grew the fireworks display grew from a one-night event to a weekend festival, bringing the event state and national recognition.

To make the event bigger and better, more money was needed, leading Watson to go to extremes to raise funds for the firework festival. He conducted a variety of fundraising stunts during a 15-year period, such as scaling cherry pickers, living in ice fishing shanties and conducting other feats to keep the festival at the caliber the community came to expect.

I needed to get publicity and give the fireworks a shot in the arm, Watson told The Bay City Times in 2012. There were a few things that were probably a little extreme.

Even after Clark took over as festival president, Watson remained close to the event he was instrumental in bolstering.

He was always my sounding board, Clark said. Id always throw ideas off him because he had seen it all and done it all. He knew what worked and what didnt.

Peggy Watson said her late husbands love for Bay City and all he did for the community will have a lasting legacy.

I think most people that knew him would agree that he devoted himself to all kinds of good things for the community, she said. "Whether it was the police department, the City Festival of Lights, crime awareness, the Fireworks Festival, the River Roar. He always devoted himself to the community, to try to improve things. That was his story.

He wanted to promote Bay City at every single opportunity.

In the late 1980s, after Bay Citys fireworks show grew in recognition, Watson was invited to and served as judge at the International Fireworks Festival in Monte Carlo. He also went to France to represent the U.S. as a veteran on anniversaries of D-Day and Operation Jubilee.

Its a devastating loss of a dear friend, added Bay County Executive Jim Barcia, Watsons friend since 1975. Its a vacuum that is going to be felt throughout the community. We were really all pulling for Terry to overcome this once he was hospitalized and we knew because of his underlying health conditions that he was vulnerable to the virus.

In Barcias eyes, the county has lost an icon.

So many thousands and thousands of Bay County residents have been impacted by Terrys efforts throughout his life to improve conditions in the community, he said. Weve lost an outstanding promoter of Bay City and Bay County with his numerous activities. Its impossible to cover in one article all the facets of Terrys involvements in the community.

Former Bay City mayor and state representative Charles M. Brunner echoed Barcias sentiments.

Terry was just somebody that really loved his community, Brunner said. He had a million ideas. Every time you talked to him, he had a different idea about something that he wanted to do. And he was one of those people who actually took those ideas and put them into practice. He led a full life. Were all just going to miss him so much.

The 2020 fireworks fest was canceled due to COVID-19. If the fest is able to resume in July 2021, Clark said some form of tribute will take place in Watsons honor.

Weve discussed some things we want to do for Terry later this year and pay tribute to him in a pretty spectacular way, Clark said.

Peggy Watson said a celebration of life is planned in her husbands honor around the Fourth of July.

Michigan on Nov. 7 recorded 6,225 new positive coronavirus cases, a one-day high for the state. Michigans total COVID-19 cases since the pandemics start in March is now at 207,794 and rising quickly.

So far, 7,578 people have died in Michigan from COVID-19. Daily deaths are at 65.

Read more:

Bay City Fireworks Festival canceled for 2020 due to coronavirus concern

50 years of fireworks: Bay City Fireworks Festival creators, organizers remember history behind one of Michigans largest fireworks shows

Michigan records a new one-day high of 6,225 coronavirus cases

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He was Bay Citys gem: Terry Watson, 72, dies of COVID-19 - MLive.com