Dalton Arnold Watts, 100, of Wichita Falls, passed away on Sunday, December 15, 2024.

Memorial Services will be held at 2:00 on Friday, December 27, 2024, at Lunn's Colonial Chapel, with Roger Deerinwater officiating.

A son of the late Milton Watts and Nannie Ferrell Watts, Dalton was born April 30, 1924, in Percilla, Texas. The family moved to different communities in his childhood, during the Great Depression, eventually settling in Maydelle until his graduation from high school in 1941. After graduating, he worked odd jobs around Texas for about two years.

Dalton entered the Army in spring of 1943, and did basic training at Fort Knox, followed by six months of training and college at Mississippi State. He then transferred to the Army Air Corps in San Antonio for Navigator training, as all pilot slots had been filled. He did Advanced Navigator training in Laredo. During his training, he married Lois McKeown from Jacksonville, Texas, in October 1944, and they were married for 78 years at the time of her death in January 2023.

By February 1945 Dalton was in Europe with the US air forces in WWII. During his time serving in the war, he flew with a Troup Carriers squadron, which included flying food rations and gasoline to the front lines for General Patton's troops. He also flew with a squadron that towed gliders behind enemy lines, carrying jeeps, ammunition, food and other supplies into a meadow on the Rhine Valley. Their squadron had no planes shot down, and Dalton was designated Head Navigator.

Dalton remained in Paris after the war and was Honorably Discharged and promoted to Captain in July 1946 and served in the Air Force Inactive Reserve for 2 years. He then resigned as Captain and joined the Army Active Reserve in 1948 for 9 months.

After the war, Dalton began taking flying lessons in Tyler, near where he and Lois had both lived when they were in school and when they met. They lived in other cities in Texas and in Lawton as he continued getting additional pilot ratings and flight experience, including crop dusting, flying pipeline and flight training. When they were living in San Antonio in 1948, their son, Larry, was born. In 1951, Dalton moved the family to Wichita Falls and began working for Fulcher Armstrong doing charter service. In 1954, their daughter, Patti was born. Dalton continued working for Mr. Armstrong and eventually went to work flying for J.S. Bridwell. In 1962, he decided to take a job opportunity and moved the family to Ann Arbor, Michigan.  Quickly learning that flying small planes in winter in Michigan was a difficult task, he moved the family back to Wichita Falls 9 months later.

Back in Wichita Falls, in 1963 Dalton started his own business, Watts Aviation, which became a very successful business for the rest of his career. In addition to doing charter and teaching flying lessons, Dalton developed a growing clientele of pilot service customers, beginning with Mr. Bridwell, and including many local oil companies, who hired him to fly in their planes. He also taught many doctors, lawyers, and oil company owners and their wives and children to fly, including getting their instrument and multi-engine ratings. In 1978, he expanded his business, by

starting Aero Maintenance, an aircraft maintenance shop, which he later sold to his chief mechanic, Dan Dekker. Through the years, Dalton obtained over 10 pilot ratings and attained over 41,000 flight hours, a feat rarely achieved by many other pilots.

Dalton was a man with a model work ethic, which was likely forged during the Depression, when he had to work hard as a child to help the family survive.  He passed on his work ethic, honesty and integrity in business practices and professional attitude to all those who worked for him.  This includes his daughter, who worked for him 14 years, and attributes him with teaching those qualities to her, giving her a solid foundation for her career in business.  Dalton was admired and respected by all who knew him in business and personally, and was loved by family and close friends.

In addition to his parents, Dalton was preceded in death by his loving wife, Lois McKeown Watts, his sister, Sylverine Cleveland Sealy, brothers-in-law June Cleveland and Bill Sealy, and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.

Dalton is survived by his son, Larry Watts; daughter, Patti Hamilton and husband, Larry; grandson, Michael Teter; grandson David Hamilton and partner, Jessica Bright; great grandson, Ivan Teter; great granddaughter, Bianca Teter; cousin, Ralph Watts and wife, Vivian; nieces: Pam Todd and husband, Jerry; Terri Bearden and husband, Michael; Vicki Pryor and husband, Mike; nephews: Rickey Cleveland and wife, Marilyn; Nickey Cleveland and wife, Jon; and various cousins and great nieces and nephews.

For those desiring, memorial donations may be sent to:  House of Hope (Evergreen Suite).