Thomas Howard Watson was born July 29, 1937 on a farm between Wheatley and Leamington, Ontario. Since his father and mother were both members of Wheatley United Church, and his father particularly active, he grew up in the United Church and has maintained a strong life-long allegiance to the denomination. It may seem natural then that he might become a minister—as a matter of fact, Tom remembers that a minister in the Wheatley church made reference to that several times during his early and mid teen years—but the road to that would have several twists and turns.

 When Tom finished high school he went to work in the Quality Control laboratory of H. J. Heinz Co. in Leamington. He and Janice (nee Mills from Chatham, Ontario) were married in 1960 and began raising a family. After 5 1/2 years at Heinz, he left to work for Retail Credit Company. In the meantime the oldest two girls were born—Maureen in 1961 and Valerie in 1963. In 1964 Tom was promoted to supervisor in the Weston branch of the company so it was off to Toronto for the then Watson foursome. Lorinne was born during their 2 years in Toronto, but then, in 1966, it was off to Ottawa as Assistant Manager. One year later, in 1967, Tom was made Branch Manager in St. John's, Newfoundland. This time in Canada's most easterly province was supposed to be three years but in 18 months, in 1969, the company sent him to Sudbury as Branch Manager. Sandra, the fourth of the Watson girls, was born there and soon it was time to move again...on to Windsor in 1971.

Both Tom and Janice were very active in the United Churches in the cities in which they lived, and Tom had increasingly felt more comfortable with the notion planted by the old minister back there in Wheatley. In 1973, the decision was made to leave the Retail Credit Company and study for the ministry in the United Church. But how to support a family of 6 while he studied? A student pastoral charge would be needed. That turned out to be the Straffordville Pastoral Charge, made up of Straffordville, Vienna and Port Burwell, Ontario. This made it possible to study at the University of Western Ontario in London, majoring in Philosophy and minoring in Economics, and he graduated from there with a BA in 1976. Then it was on to Emmanuel College in Toronto for theology, and he graduated from there with a Master of Divinity degree in 1979. During this entire 6 years the family lived in Straffordville and Tom was minister to the 3 churches on that pastoral charge.

Upon ordination in 1979, he was settled in Wawanesa, Manitoba, where he served the three churches of Wawanesa, Nesbitt and Brandon Hills. But in 1981 he received a call to Colborne Street United in Brantford, where he served for 10 years. In 1991 a call was extended by Trinity United in Guelph and he served there until retirement in 2002.

Retirement lasted for 4 1/2 years until he was invited, in February of 2007, to become minister of Sheffield United Church where he has continued to serve since that time.

During his life, he has also developed a number of hobbies. Music has perhaps been the principal one. When he was 15, he and a group of chums started a band and he was the drummer...he still drums with various combinations of musicians in the Guelph-Kitchener area. He also plays several other instruments, and has sung in a number of choral groups. He is an avid reader, along with Janice loves the summer at their trailer near Parry Sound, and can play a pretty decent game of Bridge. He is active on the Kiwanis Music Festival, Guelph, Committee and has been emceeing their annual concerts for the past several years.

A lover of words, while in both Brantford and Guelph, he was instrumental in the creation of musical comedy plays, which became an annual highlight of church life. Because of this, he was invited to help write the script for the Royal City Ambassadors' annual shows in recent years.

Tom feels very fortunate to have been able to live in so many parts of this wonderful country of Canada because he has gained an appreciation of the differences in cultures and ways of life embraced and enjoyed in Canada's various regions. He also feels very fortunate to have come to know and love the people of the churches with which he has been privileged to be a part during his ministry.