DL Capt. William Henry "Bill" Watts

 

~ IN MEMORY ~

USAF veteran, DL Capt. William Henry "Bill" Watts

May 17, 1941 ~ July 17, 2026

 

During his time at Delta, Bill furthered the modernization of aviation safety as he helped bring the Heads-Up Display (HUD) to pilots and was instrumental in the design of the first crew rest facility on the B-777.  Bill retired as the Director of Flight Operations in 2002……………

 

Bill began his commercial flying career with Delta Air Lines 11-06-1972 and was based Atlanta.  He is survived by his wife Lynda, and by his children and their families.

 Services for Bill will be held July 30 in Marietta GA…please see obituary below for that information.

 

PCN memorial site   

 

https://www.mayeswarddobbins.com/obituaries/William-Henry-Bill-Watts?obId=49083129

William Henry "Bill" Watts Obituary

William Henry Watts, “Bill”, 85, passed away Friday, July 17, 2026. Bill was born on May 17, 1941 in Winchester, Kentucky to Dewitt Edward Watts and Caroline Brock Watts. The Watts family moved to Hazard in Eastern Kentucky early in Bill’s life. He was thankful to have grown up in a small town that had a strong sense of community and a desire to help those in need. Those values fundamentally shaped him and were why he was always quick to say he was a “proud hillbilly from the hills of Kentucky.” Those same “hills” are the beautiful country where he learned how to fly a J-3 Piper Cub owned by his father and two other residents of Hazard. After moving to Cincinnati his senior year, he moved to Atlanta to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology. While at Georgia Tech, he met Lynda Louise Heflin, whom he affectionately called “Miss Scarlett.” She appropriately called him “Rhett”. Bill and Lynda married on July 10, 1966 in Griffin, Georgia. Bill graduated with his bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering and a master’s degree in Industrial Management from Georgia Tech, and an MBA from Georgia State University.

 

Following their marriage, Bill and Lynda moved to Texas for Bill to begin pilot training with the Air Force. During the drive to Del Rio, Texas, where it was over 100 degrees in the desert, Lynda asked Bill, “Where the hell are you taking me?” She never left his side for 60 years. He joined the United States Air Force as a Second Lieutenant on June 30, 1966. He was initially assigned to the C-141 supporting logistics and supplies for Vietnam and flying the wounded and deceased military personnel back from Vietnam. Bill and Lynda made lifelong friends during these formative years as a young married couple.

 

Bill served in the Vietnam War flying the C-47.

 

During his time in Vietnam, Bill’s unit was tasked with dropping flares at night to help fighter aircraft and ground troops see their enemy targets more easily. After returning from Vietnam, he was honorably discharged on August 4, 1971.

 

After his military career, Bill went to work for IBM but realized his love for flying was pulling him back to the skies. He received a pilot position with Delta Air Lines and flew for 28 years. He held various pilot instructing, technical pilot, and management roles. During his time at Delta, Bill furthered the modernization of aviation safety as he helped bring the Heads-Up Display (HUD) to pilots and was instrumental in the design of the first crew rest facility on the B-777.

 

Bill retired as the Director of Flight Operations in 2002. In retirement, he worked with Delta, NASA, and the FAA to create and patent the Flight Weather Viewer application for Delta’s pilots to help avoid hazardous weather. This was one of the first apps in the aviation industry that helps avoid turbulence to plan for and mitigate crew member and passenger injuries.

 

As much as he enjoyed these projects, his love of his family and his community were the driving forces behind his work and professional accomplishments. Bill loved the verses found in Romans 5:3-5, “But we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

 

Through his strong faith in the Lord, Bill faithfully provided care for Lynda as she has battled Multiple Sclerosis for over 40 years. Bill was known as “Papa”, and was a devoted and loving grandfather to his six grandchildren, as well as many foster children who were a part of the Watts families for many years.

 

Bill is survived by his beloved wife, Lynda; children, Jennifer Bell (Buddy), Kevin Watts (Rosemary), and Stephen Watts (Stephanie); grandchildren, Caroline Bell, Katherine Allen (Wesley), Abigail and Avery Watts, Elizabeth and Anna Grace Watts; and his sister Elizabeth “Betty” Benavides.

 

A Celebration of Life service will be held for William H. Watts on Thursday, July 30, 2026 from 10 to 11 am in the sanctuary of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, Georgia (Visitation from 9 to 10 am). There will be a military honors graveside service at the Georgia National Cemetery from 1 to 1:30pm (1080 Scott Hudgens Drive Canton, GA 30114) on the same day. All are welcome to both services or either one.

 

In lieu of flowers, please donate in Bill’s memory to the Fellowship of Christian Airline Personnel (fcap.org) or the First Care Women’s Clinic ( firstcarewomensclinic.com/en/donation/ )