1930 - 1990
It is with great sadness that we must report the passing of our beloved friend David Watkins who passed away early on the morning of Friday, August 17, 1990 after a month long battle with cancer.
David was a founder and trustee of the Golden State Gay Rodeo Association and our recording secretary from the very beginning. When the International Gay Rodeo Association was formed, David was the natural choice for Corporate Secretary and he served in the capacity for five years.
For the first couple of years David was our rodeo secretary and then, having trained others to fill that post, he became an IGRA rodeo auditor and officiated at every rodeo in division one through rodeo 90, Las Angles. Typically, until just a few days before his passing he had every intention of filling that position for the upcoming rodeo in San Diego. It's going to feel very strange without him there making sure everything is just so.
David's strength, loyalty, good humor and his unending love for his fellow man will be sadly missed. Our association and everyone who had the privilege of knowing David is the better for the experience.
To a lot of people in the IGRA David was known as Grandpa not because of his age, but because of the love and guidance he provided for a lot of people. David. We love you. We miss you. And we know you ride with us today.
Katie, a Denver Colorado Native of 39 years, has been working with the_gay community for over 6 years. She started with Miller Brands, Inc. in 1979 as a delivery dispatcher and has worked her way diligently up through the ranks. When she started calling on Charlie's Denver 6 years ago, her title was Area Sales Manager. She was promoted to District Sales Manager, and most recently promoted again to National Sales Manager, handling all of the Gay Accounts in the city of Denver and also the numerous national accounts that Miller supplies with their many products.
In her spare time, (and that's not much) Katie takes care of her husband and 2 teenage daughters. She also takes care of the Gay Community in many ways besides rodeo. She has influenced her upper managers to donate money to Pridefest '90 (Denver's Gay Pride Celebration), Trilogy '89 and Trilogy '90 (Trilogy is a fundraiser for the Colorado Aids Project raising approximately $12,000.00 each year) and is always interested to know what is in the works that she might be able to help with.
Katie is the type of manager you all would want to have as a boss, she digs right in and does it all right along with you, right up to putting up banners and decorating at the rodeo grounds. Katie, with her unchanging sense of rightness, is the key person that made International Sponsorship from Miller brewery a reality. Her undying support of the gay community and gay rodeo as we know it today makes her truly a member of the team. One that we all appreciate and cherish greatly.
Katie, in thanks for all you've done for International Gay Rodeo, our hats are off to you.
