John B. Watkins ’45

John Watkins of Leland, Mich., died April 6, 2014, after a brief illness.

John attended Detroit University School and followed his brothers, Jim ’40 and George ’41, to Princeton. His time on campus was interrupted by Army service in World War II. While at Princeton, he was a member of Charter and graduated from SPIA.

After Princeton, John received an MBA from the University of Michigan and moved to Grosse Pointe, Mich. He married Jean Hyde Watkins in 1950 and flew for the Army in the Korean conflict. After Korea, John went to work at Detroit Bank and Trust Co. and was one of the first chartered financial analysts in the country. In 1977, John moved to Leland and opened a financial-advisory and counseling practice.

John was an avid golfer and was a fixture at Men’s Day at the Leland Country Club until he was almost 90. John was a lifelong supporter of Princeton, acting as class agent, doing alumni interviews and traveling to Reunions and alumni days. He wore his orange sport coat proudly around town.

John was predeceased by his wife, Jean, in 2003. He is survived by his sons, Warren, John Jr., and David; grandchildren Megan, Andrew ’04, Jennifer, Caitlin, Sarah, Elizabeth, and William; and three great-grandchildren. The class expresses its sympathy to the family.