Send Cards To Harry Watson

[Grey Doffin]

Hi guys,

As most of you know from an earlier post, Harry Watson, Nihonto book translator and a good person, suffered a stroke and is now in rehab.  The word from his wife is that he is frail and that he very much enjoys cards/letters from old friends.  If you know Harry and would like to do your part, he can be reached at:

Harry Watson

C/O Florence Watson

1410 Ave. O  (that's the letter O)

Cisco, TX 76437 USA

 

Grey

[Brian]

If anyone is in contact or sends a card...please extend our best wishes from all of us here, and let them and him know we are thinking of him.
 

[Stephen]

thank you Grey   will do

[Curran]

Grey,

 

I did not see the earlier post and was unaware.

Thank you for the information.

[Bazza]

Ahhhh, very sad news indeed.  I see it here (where I live) amongst older collector friends, found out yesterday after a long silence that one of them has Parkinson's.  Vale John Prough, New York, whom I remember most fondly from quite some years ago now.

 

BaZZa.

[Stephen]

Wow Bazz, i did not know, more sad news.

[Vermithrax16]

Prayers for him tonight.

[Curran]

BaZZa,

 

John Prough was my Jersey City neighbor, friend, and mentor in my early days of collecting.

It was unexpected that Sachiko (John's wife) went so suddenly, as the age gap and her athleticism had us believing she would long survive him.

 

John fought his Parkinson's about as valiantly as anyone I've ever seen deal with long term illness.

When he passed, many of his and Sachiko's students were with him. Family isn't always blood relations.

 

At the 3 minute mark, some good images of John and Sachiko together: 

[kissakai]

Just beautiful

[uwe]

That makes one thoughtful...

[Stephen]

Thank you Curran san

[Curran]

To keep this on subject,

 

I have never had many direct conversations with Harry, but purchased his Nihonto Koza translations from John Prough and relied heavily on them in my first decade of collecting.

John also introduced me to Bob Haynes' Index of Japanese Sword Fittings and Associated Artists shortly after publication.

I know Harry probably a lot better than he knows me, through stories shared by John with me.

John liked him much.

 

In my own years in this hobby, much of my foundation comes from the efforts of John Prough, Bob Haynes, and Harry Watson.

[Stephen]

My first Chicago show so many years ago i roomed with Harry, we had met via forums like this, traded a Colt 1911 for NTK, and he was/is so patient with questions and translation request, a man much taller than his physical stature for sure.