Sandra Kay Watts

Sandra Kay Watts, 68, passed away peacefully on June 8, 2026. Born on July 6, 1957, Sandra grew up in Belmont, Gaston County, North Carolina, where she developed a love for family, friends, animals, and the beauty of nature that would remain with her throughout her life.

Sandra earned her GED from Catawba Valley Community College in 2002 and later obtained her North Carolina Real Estate Broker License on July 12, 2012. She enjoyed a successful career as a Real Estate Broker with Realty Executives of Hickory and Lake Norman, helping countless individuals and families find places to call home.

Sandra had a passion for gardening and found great joy in growing flowers and plants. She loved cooking, learning new things, horseback riding, spending time with friends, and games of chance. An avid animal lover and rescuer, she devoted much of her life to caring for animals and helping others. Sandra embraced life with enthusiasm and never met a stranger.

She was preceded in death by her father, Harold Cranford, and her mother, Martha Louise Stalcup.

Those left to cherish her memory include her devoted husband, James “Doc” Watts; her daughter, Angela Gosnel; her grandchildren, Paige Murdock and Taylor Murdock; her great grandson, Jackson Murdock; her sister, Patty Faile Rodriguez; her half sister, Lynn Cranford; her brother, Harold Cranford Jr.; her nieces, April Atkins and Autumn Cranford; and her nephew, Terry Helms Jr., along with many extended family members and dear friends.

Her husband, Doc, shared these loving words:

“I met Sandra in February of 2001 and knew right off she was a very special lady. She never met a stranger and always helped people in any way she could. She was caring, kind and full of life, and an avid animal lover and rescuer. Her heart was as large as the world itself. She was my strength, my rock, and my world. She is very missed, and I will always love her.”

Sandra’s kindness, generosity, and loving spirit touched countless lives. She will be remembered for her warm heart, her willingness to help others, and the love she shared with everyone fortunate enough to know her.

Please sign the online guestbook on the Memorial Wall at www.jenkinsfuneralhome.net. The Watts family has entrusted arrangements to Jenkins Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Newton 828-464-1555.