Stephen Watson

Steve L. Watson, (73), Topeka, Kansas, passed away on Wednesday, January 22, 2025, after a brief, unexpected illness.

 Steve was born September 2, 1951, at Wesley Hospital, Wichita, Kansas. He was the son of Jim and Eleanor Watson. He was a 1969 graduate of Wichita North High School. He graduated from Kansas State University in 1973 with B.S. degree in Biology and in 1976 with an M.S. degree in Horticulture. He then attended North Carolina State University to pursue a Ph.D. in Crop Science, specializing in turfgrass management. After four years of study and research, he decided he did not want to spend the rest of his life doing that. So, he ditched it all and went headlong into a new career as a science journalist, despite have no formal training or degree in journalism. He made it work.

 In 1980 Steve was one of twenty young scientists nationwide selected to receive a science writing fellowship from the American Academy for the Advancement of Science. This landed him a position as a science writer and reporter for the Portland Oregonian newspaper in Portland, Oregon. He became the managing editor of two farm magazines based in Raleigh, N.C.

 He eventually returned to Kansas as the managing editor of Kansas Farmer magazine. He preferred Kansas to any other place he’d lived, loving the open country and the people of his home state.

 After several years at Kansas Farmer he met Bobbie, the love of his life, and they married in 1990. Together they started a publishing company based in Topeka called Lone Tree Publishing Co. After publishing several types of books the first few years Steve eventually focused solely on his successful farm publications. The flagship publication was an annual book titled “Wheat Varieties for Kansas and the Great Plains,” the first book of its kind anywhere in the U.S.

 He also produced a weekly e-newsletter for K-State’s Department of Agronomy, helping increase the reach and impact of Agronomy’s Extension efforts throughout the state. Steve was the founding editor of this publication and faithfully published a new edition every week for more than 700 weeks until his retirement in 2017.

 After retiring, Steve enjoyed being with his wife and family (including his cats), reading novels, playing piano, taking classes on a wide variety of subjects at Washburn University, watching K-State sports, playing ping pong, taking walks, going to symphonies and ballets, and watching Star Trek.

 He is survived by his wife Bobbie; stepdaughters Carol Rasor and Lisa Rasor of Lawrence, KS; step grandchildren George Runyan and Elizabeth Runyan of Lawrence; brother Mike Watson of Appleton, WI; and nephew David Watson and grandnephew Warren Watson of East Lansing, MI.

 As per his wishes, there will be no memorial service. Instead, he would simply like everyone to be kind and loving to each other and all animals. Contributions to the Cat Association of Topeka would be greatly appreciated. To leave a message for his family online, please visit ppdfuneral.com.