Photo Provided By Karen Watson with image upscale.

Doug and Karen Watson, known for their decades of dedication to the Deer Park community through volunteerism and leadership, have been named the 2025 WinterFest Honored Citizens. This recognition acknowledges their significant contributions to preserving and enriching local traditions.

The Deer Park WinterFest Committee has named Doug and Karen Watson the 2025 Honored Citizens. To be eligible for nomination, an individual, couple, or group must demonstrate service and dedication that has significantly contributed to the community. The Watsons are precisely that type of couple. They love to stay busy and give back to their Deer Park Community, where they love living and have raised their four daughters.

Doug taught school and coached for thirty-eight years, of which thirty-five of those years were for the Deer Park School District.  He then coached many years after retirement for the YMCA Girls Program.  Karen retired from banking after thirty-one years and then worked seven more years as a ParaEducator for the Deer Park School District.  Both are Deer Park High School graduates, Doug in the Class of 1969 and Karen in the Class of 1974.  They are proud parents of four grown daughters who are also in the teaching and banking fields.

When they are not busy in the community, the Watsons can be found at their grandchildren’s football, soccer, and basketball games. They also love to travel in their spare time.

The Watsons have been involved with the Deer Park Float Association for twenty-two years, building and traveling with the Deer Park Community Float. They take the float to anywhere from ten to twelve summer parades. They also help with all the fundraising necessary to build the float and the gas money for hauling it. Karen has been involved with the Miss Deer Park Program for thirty-three years and is the Judges Chairman. Each year, she must find five out-of-town judges who do not know the girls or their parents. 

First joining the Deer Park Community Float in 1991, when their oldest daughter was chosen as a Miss Deer Park Princess, the Watsons were required to help build the float and go to parades. “We have since had two other daughters chosen as Royalty and we remain dedicated because others ahead of us made sure our daughters had a Community Float to ride and represent Deer Park,” Karen stated.  “We believe in giving back.”

One particularly memorable experience the Watsons shared from volunteering with the Deer Park Community Float occurred during their return from a Penticton Parade in Canada. While crossing Sherman Pass, two tires on the float trailer blew out, forcing them to park the trailer in Republic. The next day, Doug and Lon Hansen returned to Republic, arranged for Les Schwab to replace the blown-out tires, and drove the trailer home.

One message they would like to share with others is the importance of giving back to the Community. They feel if people don’t step in and get involved, many of the wonderful events that Deer Park still offers will disappear. Many other towns have done away with their floats, hometown parades, WinterFests, Christmas Parades, etc., because the older people got burnt out, and the younger generation wouldn’t take over. They say the average age of the float committee is around seventy-four.

The Watsons say that Deer Park is evolving as a community by “just growing and growing in size,” with many new houses being built. They note that “our streets are overwhelmed with traffic, as is our schools.” They express a desire to see “the younger generations step up and get involved in the Deer Park community” as the town continues to expand.

Additionally, the Watsons would like to thank the Deer Park Kiwanis for the honor of being chosen as the Winterfest Honored Citizens. They are grateful for their family and friends who have also been on this journey with them.

Sources:

• Watson, Karen. “Doug & Karen Watson Write Up/Picture.” Received by Crystal Schut, Date of December 19, 2024, and December 20, 2025