Obituary of Rodney Byron “Rod” Watkins

Rodney Byron “Rod” Watkins passed away on October 31, 2023, in Frisco, Texas. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 pm, Monday, November 6, 2023, in The Chapel at Griffin~Hillcrest with interment to follow in Hillcrest Memorial Park, Ardmore, Okla. Rod was born in Cadillac, Michigan on November 23, 1943 to Cecil and Mary Jo Watkins. Cecil worked for Halliburton Services so their stay in Michigan would be brief. They moved to Florida, then Eunice, LA and Sulphur, LA where he would attend high school and meet the love of his life (Martha Gilmore). He lost his Mother at the age of 17 to open heart surgery two weeks before graduating high school. He has often said that he would not have made it if it wasn’t for Martha. Rod and Martha were married shortly after and he joined the Army Reserves. He went to work for Halliburton Services in 1963 on the cementing barges after basic training. He worked a 7 days on, 7 days off schedule and has said that since he needed extra money, that on his days off he would unload barges in Lake Charles to make ends meet. They started a family, having Daughters Kelley, Kimberly and Son Michael. Rod eventually started moving up the ranks within Halliburton from Driver to Cementer and then Toolman which prompted a move to Gretna, LA. After and few years as a Toolman, Him and his family were sent to Grand Isle, La for two years for his first supervisor job. They then were transferred back to Gretna, La for his Field Supervisor role in which he flew all over Southeast La calling on rigs. He was later promoted to Assistant District Manager and then, because of the success in that role was sent to New Roads, LA to start and new facility in the dangerous Tuscaloosa Marine Shale play. After facing many well blowouts and the pains of growing a new location for two years, he was again sent back to Harvey, LA as the District Manager. Later, Halliburton created a division called HRS (Halliburton Reservoir Services) where he was made Area Manager over Southeast US and Mexico. After HRS disbanded, he finished his career as Area Manager over Harvey, La in 1995 in the same place where he started his career. After retirement, Rod and Martha began doing all the things that they didn’t have time for during his time working. They bought a bass boat and airstream travel trailer. He started fishing again and him and Martha went on adventures throughout the West and Northwest of the United States. On one of their trips to Lake Fork, TX they met some new friends and started hunting with them in Pelahatchie, MS. They spent several years traveling the see children and grand children in different states. Later, Rod's beloved wife Martha was diagnosed with Pulmonary fibrosis and succumbed to the illness on December 4th, 2016. He then moved to Frisco, TX to live with oldest daughter Kelley until his passing. He was a loving man that would do anything for family. We will miss his witty sense of humor, advice when needed and the sound of his unmistakable good ol' boy accent. He can rest in peace knowing that he left a loving family behind that will always cherish his memory and that he is finally reunited with the love of his life Martha Merz Watkins. He was preceded in death by his parents, Cecil Byron and Mary Jo Watkins, wife, Martha Merz (Gilmore) Watkins and grand-daughter, Isabella Rose Watkins. Rod is survived by his daughters: Kelley Williams and her husband, Keith Williams, and Kimberly Zeringue, son, Michael Watkins and wife, Alivia Watkins, grand-children: Andrew Dillon, Kristina Brown and husband Alex Brown, Kaleb Williams and wife Kayleigh Williams, Wyatt Watkins, Julianna Watkins, great-grand-children: Madisyn Williams, Kenley Brown, Kameron Brown and Kyle Williams.