Birth date: Nov 23, 1941 Death date: Dec 9, 2025
We celebrate the life of Denise Arthur McWatt, a beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend who recently celebrated her 84th birthday. Denise was born in St. Michael, Barbados on Nov 23, 1941 and passed at her fami Read Obituary
My favorite memories of Denise was how she was always so full of joy and willing to be playful. Playing games with Denise always had a competitive twist and resulted in a bunch of laughs!
Sweet grandma… one that felt like one of my own❤️ our countless Andy’s runs, jumping on the trampoline, singing the alphabet song, her intentional curiosity about my life, and the list goes on. What a legacy and inspiration!!! You will be missed sweet grandma.
I enjoyed the times we could get together. Denise loved the Lord and her family so much. She was a joy to be around!
Aunt Denise was my mother's youngest sister. At the time when she was six years old I was born -- my mother's first child and aunt Denise's first nephew. Of course she, with the rest of the Deane family, lived in Barbados, while my family lived in Guyana, the home country of the McWatt Clan.
We visited my mum's home country, Barbados occasionally and I always remember fondly how I got to know my dear auntie. When mum and I visited I Barbados I grew to know and love my Barbadian relatives. When my aunt Denise was a teenager I was very fond of her and the fact that she was older than me and yet still played and chatted with me made me feel very at home.
When I was around five or six years dear aunt Denise would teach me things about living in Barbados - many I did not fully understand at the time. Specifically many things she knew I would not have known on my own. One day I recalled she pulled me aside and said "Mark here in Barbados we drink nice water from the taps, but I understand in Guyana you all collect rainwater off the roof and drink that." And a few days later when it rained she made me go out the back door carrying a mug which she used to collect rainwater running off the kitchen roof. All of this was new and strange to a five year old and I think I enjoyed the novelty and thought it was "fun" to drink the water we collected. Of course when I reported this to my parents sometime later they were amused and somewhat disappointed that I appeared to be happy to be drinking rainwater from the roof. Apparently it was a story repeated to many members of our family in Guyana who would laugh and re-tell it to others. I was constantly met with the refrain that "All yuh does drink rain water that fell pun de roof".
Auntie Den and I would constantly tease each other about these things. I recall on many visits to Bim I was told to be sure to clean all that mud out from between my ears in our clean sea waters. A clear reference to me being a "mudhead" from Guyana. While in turn I would respond with "I don't know why you feel Barbados is so special its but a mere 166 square miles its so small an Island we could drag it into the Mazaruni river and sink it." And this type and back and forth was typical of our exchanges.
Some years after she had her kids and divorced she married my uncle Ian McWatt and lived with him in Canada until he passed away. I have always treasured my relationship with her and she is deeply missed by all.
May she rest in peace.
-Mark McWatt
The Deane siblings
From Hazel
Ms. Denise had the sweetest disposition and was pure joy! I was able to visit her in the hospital and pray with her - I'll never forget her kindness, love for the Lord, and the most beautiful smile!! I could've talked with her for hours!! She will be missed dearly, and our prayers are surrounding the entire Healy family!!
She loved her Blue Bell Coffee Ice Cream!
Miss you mama ❤️
