John Stradley Watkins, III, 66, of Roanoke Rapids, died Sunday, November 3, 2013 at home surrounded by his loving family.

John, a native of Granville County, was the son of the late John Stradley, Jr. and Hilda Shoaf Watkins.

John served his Country for four years in the United States Navy. He was a 1965 graduate of J.F. Webb High School and a 1970 graduate of Campbell University. He was retired from the North Carolina Department Employment Security Commission. He was an active member of Roanoke Baptist Church where he was a deacon and Sunday school teacher.

John is survived by his wife, Ginny Butler Watkins; their daughter, Heather Watkins Wynne and her husband, Kirk, of Roanoke Rapids; their son, Andrew Watkins of Raleigh; three grandchildren, Jake and Abby Wynne and Julia Watkins; his sister, Susan Watkins Jakubiec and her husband, James, of Wheaton, IL; two stepsisters, Caroline M. Smith of Birmingham, AL and Susan H. Mitchell of Raleigh; two stepbrothers, Bill Mitchell of Oxford and Joe Mitchell of Manlius, NY; and several nephews and nieces.

Funeral services for John will be held Thursday, November 7, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. at Roanoke Baptist Church with Rev. Rick Rogers and Rev. Dave Wood officiating. Interment will follow in Cedarwood Cemetery in Roanoke Rapids with Military honors.

The family will receive friends at Roanoke Baptist Church on Thursday, November 7, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. until service time.

Memorial donations may be made to the ALS Association, Jim ''Catfish'' Hunter Chapter, 4 N. Blount Street, 2nd Floor, Raleigh, NC 27601.