Obituary of Jeffrey David Watkins
Jeffrey David Watkins passed away on Tuesday, June 20, 2023 at the age of 62 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Jeff was born on April 23, 1961 in Sioux City, Iowa. He was the first of three sons born to Dave and Marilyn Watkins. Jeff graduated from North High School in Sioux City in 1979 and earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Finance from the University of Tulsa in 1983. He enjoyed a long career in investment management serving as president of Capital Advisors Wealth Management in Tulsa for 18 years. He later went on to work as president of Prescott Group Capital Management for 19 years before his retirement in 2020. His life was enriched by the many lasting friendships he developed with co-workers and clients throughout his career.
Jeff married Carol Kalkman on June 29, 1991 in Tulsa. Their first child, Joe, was born in 1995, followed by Ben in 1998.
Jeff’s greatest happiness came from being dad to Joe and Ben. There was nothing he would rather do than spend his time with them. He was blessed to get to watch them grow, listen to their thoughts and ideas and see them become the young men they are.
Jeff lost his life to frontotemporal dementia, a form of early onset dementia, after being diagnosed in 2020 at age 59. Jeff’s life before the onset of his disease was a delightful one. His family, friends, and acquaintances will remember him for his unique personality and energetic temperament. He was smart, kind, thoughtful, generous, personable, quick-witted, and an awful lot of fun. He made others feel important through his sincere interest in them and in the details of their lives. He was the very best at reaching out and keeping in touch with friends. He was a great rememberer of birthdays, but never waited for them as a reason to call and catch up. He told “dad jokes” long before he was a dad and long before they were called “dad jokes.” His sense of humor was disarming and endearing.
Jeff’s life after his diagnosis, while often heartbreaking for his loved ones, continued for the most part to be delightful for him, as one of the symptoms of FTD is joviality. Jeff’s good mood and lightheartedness during his illness was a blessing to him, his family, friends, and caregivers.
Jeff is survived by his former wife, Carol Kalkman; his sons, Joe Watkins and Ben Watkins; former mother-in-law, Consuelo Kalkman; mother, Marilyn Watkins; brother, Guy Watkins and sister-in-law Dee Dee; brother, Doug Watkins and sister-in-law Shannon and several nieces and nephews. Mention must be made of our family’s wirehaired dachshunds, Mac and Wally, who have provided Jeff and each of us with comfort, joy, distraction, and companionship throughout our family’s life and during Jeff’s illness.
A celebration and remembrance of Jeff’s life will be held in the near future. There will be no funeral service.
In remembrance of Jeff’s life, the family asks that any charitable donations be made to The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) in his honor. FTD is a rare disease requiring all-encompassing caregiving. AFTD funds much needed research, advocacy, education, and most importantly, support for families who struggle to meet the caregiving needs of their loved ones. Jeff would be honored to be remembered this way.
