Barbara Harrison Watson

Barbara H. Watson, a 45 year resident of Little Compton, Rhode Island, died peacefully on July 12, 2022 at the age of 89 in Orange County, California. Growing up outside Boston, Barbara spent her childhood summers with her family in Little Compton. After spending several years abroad with her children in Switzerland and Germany she returned to the United States to live with her mother, Joan H. Watson in Hancock, New Hampshire. Barbara attended Harvard’s Graduate School of Design and upon graduation in 1975 she and Diane Kostial McGuire, also of Little Compton, Rhode Island, established the firm McGuire and Watson, Landscape Architects and Site Planners. Together they designed residential and commercial gardens across the northeast, winning numerous awards for their work. In 1971 Barbara permanently moved to Little Compton and resided there until December 2015. Her beloved cat Jack was also an active member of the Round Pond community and was recognized and known by local residents. She relocated to California to spend the last chapter of her life being cared for by her daughter, Lisa and her son-in-law Hassan Abbassi. This move also brought her close to her granddaughters, Julia Abbassi Pon and Sophia Abbassi Desquiron and their husbands Steven Pon and Alex Desquiron. She adored and was so happy to be a meaningful part of her great-grandchildren’s lives, Oben and Esme Pon and Isabel Desquiron. She had a keen eye and appreciation for beauty, inside and outside- surrounding herself with exquisitely designed gardens and filling her home with unique and beautiful things. She loved nature in all its forms: mountains, oceans, forests, fields, gardens as well as birds and animals. Travel also played a large role in her life- from winter stays in Taxco, Mexico to late-in-life visits to the Grand Canyon and the Amalfi Coast. A lover of gatherings, large and small, Barbara was outgoing and the consummate host. Anyone who met her was struck by her grace and elegance in addition to her positivity and optimism. She will be remembered with love and admiration for the loyal and strong friendships she formed and the beautiful memories she created over a long and rich life.