Elizabeth Chaffee Watson OBITUARY

Elizabeth Chaffee Watson OBITUARY

Elizabeth Chaffee Watson, a longtime resident of San Jose, passed away peacefully in Petaluma, CA on November 22, 2025. She was 99 years old.

Elizabeth was born on March 7, 1926 in Grand Rapids, Michigan to Miles and Sarah (Noorthoek) Chaffee. She was the second of four children. As a teenager, the family moved to Vallejo, California. Elizabeth (or Liz, as her friends knew her) studied education and moved to Redwood City to teach kindergarten. In 1951, she met a young attorney named Bill Watson at a Valentine’s Day dance, and the rest is history. Bill and Elizabeth were married on June 7, 1952 and started their life together in Campbell. Together, they raised three children.

Elizabeth was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. After her children were grown, she spent her years doting on her seven grandchildren, volunteering at the Thrift Box in Willow Glen, and supporting friends and family in their times of need.

Elizabeth is survived by her children Sally (John), Tom, and Bob (Margaret), grandchildren Brianna, Katie, Leslie, Will, Emily, Emma, and Larry, and great-grandchildren, Tom, Lizzie, George, Lily, Jacob, Sarah, and Tommy. The family asks that donations be made to Hospice of Petaluma in Elizabeth’s memory.