Kathleen H. Watts

Kathleen Heidi Watts, a lifelong learner, educator, writer, and steadfast defender of social justice and peace, died on March 16, 2026, at the age of 94. She embraced her departure from this world as her “last great adventure,” reflecting the same curiosity, optimism, and openness that defined her remarkable life.

Born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, in 1931, the eldest of two daughters to Constance and Richard Walter, Heidi lived across continents and cultures with enthusiasm and grace. She taught for many years, beginning in Washington state in her early twenties, then at Putney Central School in Vermont, the Westminster West school she helped establish, and with graduate students and teachers at Antioch University. She earned degrees from Pembroke, Harvard, and Cornell, and remained a passionate advocate for teachers along the East Coast and for two decades in her adopted community of Auroville, India. Guided by John Dewey’s principle of learning by doing, she championed interactive and engaging education wherever she went.

Heidi worked tirelessly for a more peaceful and just world. During the Vietnam War era, she stood by her principles even when it cost her her teaching position in Putney. She wrote countless letters to lawmakers and newspapers, and at 94 could still be seen at protests in her wheelchair, holding hand-made signs that read “War is Not the Answer.” Her home in a quiet cove on an island in Nova Scotia served as the anchor for her peripatetic life. Without electricity and accessible only by boat, it was the place where her children, grandchildren, and many friends gathered each summer to sail, dig clams, and share in both independence and interdependence.

Heidi found deep connection in nature and in the people around her. Her daily walks became a cherished family tradition, and she shared a special love of birds with her dear friend Anne, with whom she kayaked into their nineties. She remained fiercely committed to the Quakers, Putney Meeting, Antioch University, and numerous causes for social justice, making new friends even in her final year. She traveled widely and frugally, always drawn more to the people than the places.

Heidi is survived by her three children, Richard Watts of Hinesburg, Vermont, Alison Watts and Rebecca Watts, both of Newfields, New Hampshire, their spouses and former spouses Allison Cleary, Eric Nichols, and Adrian Fieldhouse, her seven grandchildren Kristina Rivers, Anna Watts, Rose Watts, Patrick Nichols, Alexis Nichols, Elanor Fieldhouse, and Madeline Fieldhouse, and two great-grandchildren, Indira and Eleanor Rivers. She also cherished her sister Fran’s children Dan, Steve, Ben, and Tim and their families, as well as her English nephews Oliver and Stephen and their families. A celebration of her life is planned for May. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Friends Service Committee.