Steve D. Watson

Danville – Steve D. Watson, 78, of Danville, passed away at 2:59 AM on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at OSF Sacred Heart in Danville. He was born on April 22, 1948, in Danville to Harold Bruce and Delores June (Sempsrott) Watson. He married Vickie Lee Kimberlin on March 22, 1978, in Danville. She survives. Vickie has been his rock, faithfully standing by his side through all the trials and tribulations in life, all good times and the sad, 48 years strong.

Also surviving are a daughter, Kimberly Watson of Danville; twin daughters, Judie Watson and Jackie (Watson) Revello; a granddaughter, Kimberlin Watson; three siblings, Carolyn “Jackie” (James) Yowell, Kenneth (Donna) Watson, and Susi (Phillip) Free; and several nieces and nephews. He was the ‘fun’ uncle, always pranking and being silly with the kids. A true child at heart he was.

He was preceded in death by his parents. Harold was a renowned Danville firefighter/Assistant Chief, and Delores was a loving nurse, who witnessed and assisted in many of her grandchildren’s births at St. Elizabeth hospital.

Steve began working for the railroad in 1970 until his retirement in April of 2008. He started his career as a switchman for Norfolk Western until moving up to engineer, finishing his time with Norfolk Southern. This would be a profession he also shared with his brother Kenny and his nephew David.

Steve was known to have a “need for speed” and always enjoyed a fast car. He owned nearly 70 cars in his lifetime. His favorites were his 60’s and 70’s GTO’s. Once coined the ‘ice man’ back in his street racing days, he was known for his trick of keeping things cool with ice. Summers as a younger man were spent hand-washing his cars and admiring his work. ‘No fingers on the windows!’ The funny thing is, when his granddaughter was born, she was allowed to draw pictures on the windows with slobbery suckers if her heart desired.

Steve had a special talent for fixing most anything he needed to. If it wasn’t available for purchase, whatever you needed could be made with materials he had around the house. A modern day ‘MacGyver’ you might say. He would always remind his family ‘this is why you don’t just throw things away’ and the value of every small thing.

Steve was certainly a story teller, often telling inappropriate jokes at the most inopportune times. His kids and grandkid have inherited these traits as well. Steve loved to tell stories about work, racing cars, and all fun he had on fishing trips with his dad and brother to Kentucky lake. Steve and Kenny also had many exciting experiences when they rode motorcycles together to and from Peru, Indiana for work. Were any of the stories exaggerated? Well, as he would say, ‘no one likes a boring story’.

He loved to travel and take his family to many different states and amusement parks over the years. Before we had facebook, he would carry his large video camera around and record every special moment. Every Christmas morning was documented with family. He also enjoyed photography and passed that craft down to his kids and grand, along with his creativeness, intelligence, and critical thinking skills.

After Steve retired, his true love was being able to spend more time with his granddaughter, Kimberlin. They, along with beloved dog Oakley, could often be found together. Whether at a family dinner or just a normal day, he cherished these moments spent with family.

His many idioms (‘money doesn’t grow on trees’, ‘don’t count your chickens until they’ve hatched’, ‘if they jumped off a bridge, would you?’ ‘If it sounds too good to be true, it is’, ‘don’t settle for hamburger when you could have steak’, etc), words of wisdom, and guidance, have all made a lasting impact on his family. His life and legacy will forever be cherished and never forgotten.

Per Steve’s wishes, there will be no services at this time. Cremation arrangements have been entrusted to Sunset Funeral Home and Cremation Center, 3940 N. Vermilion St., Danville, IL 61834.

Please join Steve’s family in sharing memories, photos, and videos of his life through his tribute wall at www.sunsetfuneralhome.com.