Marion Tracy Watson

On Thursday, July 2, 2026, in the presence of his beautiful and loving family, Marion Tracy Watson of Science Hill, Kentucky passed away and commended his spirit to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Tracy was born to the late William Paul Watson and Bernice Pearl (Tuggle) Watson in Somerset, Kentucky on September 10, 1962. He worked as Science Hill's Commonwealth Journal's Paperboy for several years and graduated from Science Hill Elementary School in 1976. He played five years of baseball in Science Hill, Pulaski County Little and Babe Ruth Leagues. He attended Somerset, Pulaski County and Eubank High Schools but tested out of high school by passing the General Education Diploma in January 1981.

Tracy enlisted in the US Army in March 1983 and was honorably discharged in March 1986, and received Good Conduct and 2nd Oak Leak Cluster Army Achievement Medals. He enlisted in the Kentucky National Guard (Somerset) in March 1986 and was honorably discharged with good conduct in March 1987. Tracy received his Associate Degree in Applied Science (pre-engineering curriculum) from the Somerset Community College (SCC) in May 1990, Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Kentucky in December 1992, and Master of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering from North Carolina State University in May 2009.

During his college progression, Tracy served as President of the Math Club and worked as a Math Tutor in the Math and Physics Lab at SCC. He was inducted into the Mu Alpha Theta Honorary Society. During attendance at UK Tracy and a team of colleagues entered an activated industrial wastewater inclined-plate ultraviolet trickle-bed and plug flow wastewater treatment reactor system design project in UK's 1992 Engineering Day competition and placed first.

Tracy worked as a research assistant under an EPA Principle Investigator for several research projects related to industrial wastewater toxic treatment and remediation, and accepted a post-college work commitment scholarship from the Kentucky Department of Natural Resources' Cabinet of Environmental Protection. Tracy passed the Fundamentals of Engineering and Chemical Engineering Principles and Practice examinations and practiced as a professional engineer in Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Georgia.

After leaving the Kentucky Division of Air Quality as an air quality permit writer, Tracy worked as a environmental/chemical engineer for Clorox/Kingsford (Burnside, Ky), the Somerset Refinery (Somerset, Ky), Valero Ardmore Refinery/Valero Energy Corporation (Ardmore, Ok/San Antonio, Tx), Cargill, North America (Eddyville, lowa), and Marathon El Paso Refinery (El Paso, Texas). Between employment with Valero and Cargill, Tracy taught high school General Chemistry and Advanced-Placement Chemistry at the Somerset Independent School System. Following employment with Marathon, Tracy accepted a regional subject matter expert position with the Environmental Protection Agency's Region 4 Headquarter Office in Atlanta, Georgia, serving the States of Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. While at the EPA, Tracy served as a regional contact for several programs to include stationary engines, RICE NESHAP, stack testing method issues and other stack testing questions, CAA Section 114(d) Landfills, CAA (Secs. 110, 111, & 112).

Though Tracy was technically fulfilled and gratified by Science and Engineering, his greatest love, devotion, and dedication were centered within his family and the Lord Jesus Christ. Beginning in 1994, the Lord Jesus appeared to Tracy and revealed some of the elements involved in a Key of David Testimony and thereafter Tracy served as an evangelical witness and missionary to the Lord the best he could.

Tracy is survived by his loving wife Mayette (Dapitan, Philippines) the mother of his children; his son, Marion Michael and daughter, May Arabelle; his brother, Jason & (Angie); and nephews Chris & (Kaye), Brad, and Paul Watson.

Tracy was a good husband, god-fearing, a good provider and a loving Dad. Spoiled rotten to his children and wife. Tracy was a traveler, a home Dad doing simple things, watching movies and likes to cook every Thanksgiving and Christmas big time.

A funeral service will be held at 11 AM on Thursday, July 9, 2026 at Morris & Hislope Funeral Home with Bro. Johnathan officiating.

Burial will be at Science Hill Cemetery.

The family will receive friends for visitation from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM on Wednesday, July 8, 2026 at Morris & Hislope Funeral Home.

Morris & Hislope Funeral Home is honored to assist the family with arrangements.