Rev. Steven Ray Watson

Steven Ray Watson, a devoted servant of God, loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away on October 13, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee at the age of 77.

Born March 28, 1948 to the late Alton Ray Watson and Norma Dee Watson of Gadsden Alabama, Steve grew up with a deep faith and an abiding sense of purpose. He attended Freed Hardeman University before graduating from David Lipscomb University in Nashville Tennessee in 1970 with a Bachelor of Arts in Bible. Steve later earned a Master’s Degree in New Testament from Harding Graduate School of Religion in Memphis, Tennessee.

In 1969, Steve married his college sweetheart, Jane Walker, in her hometown of Tuscumbia, Alabama. Together they shared 56 wonderful years of marriage, raising two daughters and two sons.

A lifelong servant of God and faithful shepherd to many, Steve dedicated his life to proclaiming the gospel—both as a preacher and as a missionary—sharing the message of hope and salvation across the United States and around the world. With a heart for reaching anyone willing to listen, he faithfully testified about his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Steve began his ministry in the South, preaching for several years before answering a call to serve as a missionary in London, England. After four years abroad, he, Jane, and their growing family returned to the United States where he began ministering at the Littleton Church of Christ in Littleton, Colorado. Following a decade of service there, they moved back to the South, where Steve would go on to preach at the Campus View Church of Christ in Athens, Georgia, a role he held faithfully for eighteen years.

Over the course of his forty-three-year preaching ministry, Steve also participated in short-term mission trips, spreading the gospel in places such as Trinidad and Tobago, Fiji, Nigeria, Guatemala, India, Guyana and beyond, often bringing his children along to share in the experience. Steve also spent some time teaching in Tauranga, New Zealand at the South Pacific Bible College. His passion for missions and evangelism touched countless lives around the globe.

After his retirement from full time preaching, Steve and Jane settled in Burns, Tennessee.

Retirement, however, did little to diminish Steve’s passion for serving others. What began as a chance encounter with a young man from Venezuela at a local Home Depot soon blossomed into a deeply personal and impactful mission. Moved by the needs of a struggling nation, Steve and Jane, supported by a growing network of generous partners, transformed a few boxes of donated food into a thriving ministry.

With humility and unwavering dedication, they organized efforts to send monthly shipments of food, medicine, and clothing to communities across Venezuela, with a special focus on caring for children. Even in his later years, Steve embraced this new chapter of ministry with the same faith, energy, and compassion that had defined his life. His love for the Lord and for people knew no boundaries—of distance, difficulty, or age.

Steve is survived by his wife, Jane Walker Watson, and his four children: Julia Curl (Ira) of Bahama, North Carolina; Amy Coleman (Lee) of Greenwood, Mississippi; Jon Watson (Jennifer) of Nashville, Tennessee; and Ben Watson (Brittany) of Burns, Tennessee. He was the proud grandfather of Sam, Sarah, Anna, and Daniel Curl; Madeleine (Michael Sykes), Walker (Karen Coleman), Claire (Max Cioffi), Victoria, Merrick, and Maya Coleman; Emma (Sutton McGehee), Luke, Carter, and Margaret Watson; and Sydney and Avery Watson. He was also blessed to know and love four great-grandchildren: Ben, James, and Luke Sykes, and John Cioffi.

He is also survived by his brothers Danny Watson (Cathy) of Birmingham, Alabama, and Scott Watson (Kay) of Pensacola, Florida.

Family and friends are invited to a Celebration of Life on Saturday, November 15th at 11:00 a.m. at Harpeth Hills Church of Christ in Brentwood, Tennessee. Visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m. Honorary pallbearers are Sam Curl, Daniel Curl, Walker Coleman, Merrick Coleman, Luke Watson, Carter Watson, Michael Sykes, Max Cioffi, and Sutton McGehee.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to:

Pegram Church of Christ Venezuela Missions

Post Office Box 439

Pegram, TN 37143