November 6, 1958 – December 20, 2025
Tragically, Gregory Neal Watts of Carbondale, Colorado passed away Saturday Dec. 20, 2025 of acute lung failure at Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. He was 67 years old. He was born Nov. 6, 1958, in Los Angeles, California, to parents Noralee and Neal M. Watts. He is survived by his brother, John, wife, Nancy, son, Kyle, first cousins, Sandra Stanton, Tom Moore, Dale and Michael Kyle, sisters- and brother-in-law, Martha Campbell and Amira and John Cranor, and many more loving relatives. He was preceded in death by his parents, Noralee and Neal M. Watts.
His early years were spent in the San Fernando Valley, California. In the 1960s, his parents moved the family to San Diego County. He graduated from Valhalla High School in El Cajon, California. He studied architecture first at the University of Utah, then transferred to Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-ARC), where he met Nancy in 1981. They married in 1982. After his time at SCI-ARC, he started his own architecture design firm, WATTS DESIGN, in Northern San Diego County and began building a portfolio of built projects.
In 1990, Greg and Nancy followed a small group of crazy San Diego friends to Telluride, Colorado. Shortly after that move, Greg restarted WATTS DESIGN in Telluride and continued to build his portfolio. Kyle was born in 1991.
In 1997, the Watts family moved from Telluride to the Roaring Fork Valley. After living in many amazing places, the family landed in Carbondale in 2002. Greg loved Carbondale and was proud to be part of such a special community.
The Roaring Fork Valley gave Greg the opportunity to work for a number of outstanding architecture firms. He formed many long lasting friendships with the people he worked with throughout the years. He worked on both large and small projects right up until he passed. He also started GREG WATTS PHOTOGRAPHY and photographed many interesting projects for architects, contractors and designers in our region and beyond.
Greg had many, many interests and passions. He loved being one of the Aspen Chapel Gallery curators, a responsibility he took very seriously. He was a hardworking creative and passionate person who above all loved his family, friends and pets the most.
Besides loving architecture, he also loved music, history, photography, snowboarding, backpacking, reading, debate and community. What he looked forward to the most, though, was taking family and friends on multi-day backpacking trips or canoeing adventures down the Green or Colorado River through the Canyon Lands of Southern Utah. A great camp spot is what he lived for.
There will be a celebration of life in the spring. The date and time will be posted on Greg Watts’ Facebook page.