Feb. 9, 1961 — March 31, 2015

Martha Anne Watkins, 54, of Dowagiac, Michigan, passed away March 31, 2015, at the Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan from a long-term illness.

Her celebration of life will begin at noon on Saturday, April 4, 2015, at Clark Chapel, 405 Center Street, Dowagiac, Michigan with Pastor Stacey Wilder officiating. The family will visit with friends from 10:30 a.m. to noon prior to the service. Burial will follow at Schoolcraft Cemetery in Schoolcraft, Michigan. Those wishing to share a memory or condolence of Anne online may do so at www.clarkch.com.

Anne was born Feb. 9, 1961, at the Franklin Memorial Hospital in Vicksburg, Michigan, to George Henry and Coleene Mae (Shearer) Watkins, and was the youngest of four children. She grew up and attended school in Dowagiac, Michigan and graduated from Dowagiac Union High School in 1979 with high honors.

Anne was committed throughout her life to the medical field. She loved helping others obtain the best care possible to improve their quality of life. She was committed to her many patients throughout her career and was genuinely concerned about each one of them.

Anne began her medical career while still in high school, working at Lee Memorial Hospital. After high school, she attended the University of Michigan with the intent of majoring in psychology while also working at their medical school. Her love of the medical field led her to attend nursing school at Southwestern Michigan College. Afterwards, Anne returned to the University of Michigan and worked in the thoracic intensive care unit. She was part of a team that performed organ transplants, including a heart transplant using an artificial heart. Anne later returned to Dowagiac and Lee Memorial Hospital where she held various nursing positions during her 16-year career with the hospital, eventually becoming the director of nursing.

In 2003 she obtained her Master’s degree from the University of Michigan and became a family nurse practitioner, a position she held until her health prevented her from working.

Anne volunteered in the Big-Little Sister Program and was a wonderful mentor and made a huge impact in the lives of young girls. She was a member of the Rotary Club and in her spare time was an excellent cook, quilter, and seamstress. She also spent countless hours with her father remodeling her home; enjoying every minute with her dad.

Anne is survived by her three siblings, John (Lee Ann) Watkins, Idaho Falls, Idaho; David Watkins, Goshen, Indiana; and Bob (Karen) Watkins, Dandridge, Tennessee; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents.