Family and friends farewell former IGA, Bucks Bakery owner
By Sonia Isaacs
Timothy Charles Watson
29 Apr 1955 – 20 Feb 2025.
BUSINESSMAN and former owner of Bucks Bakery and Landsborough IGA, Timothy Watson, has passed away at the age of 69.
Tim grew up in Townsville before boarding at Toowoomba Grammar School.
His career took him across the world, from working on the oil rigs of the North Sea to coaching rugby in Wales.
Eventually, he returned to Mt Isa, where he joined his father’s company at Mt Isa Mines.
It was in Mt Isa that Tim met his wife, Paula, at a teachers’ party in 1979. The couple married and built a life together, welcoming their daughter Georgia in 1995. Following in her mother’s footsteps, Georgia later pursued a career in teaching.
In 1999, the family relocated to the Sunshine Coast from Darwin after Tim resigned from his role at the Northern Territory Rugby Union. With a keen business acumen, he purchased the IGA Landsborough in 2000, taking on a struggling store and transforming it into a thriving local business.
“The shop was quite run down, and we had to work hard to earn the trust of the community,” Paula recalled. “Tim, with his background as an accountant, made it happen.”
With a dedicated team and a trusted management staff, the business succeeded.
However, following a distressing break-in in 2012, 2013, Tim and Paula took the leap once again. Their second venture was another success, despite the relentless demands of a seven-day-a-week operation.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought new challenges, but Tim’s resilience and business acumen ensured the bakery remained open and all staff retained their jobs.
Post-pandemic, Tim was eager to sell and embrace retirement. However, the uncertainty surrounding COVID deterred potential buyers. He persisted, holding onto the business until it was finally sold in April 2024.
Following a family holiday to Fiji, a new opportunity arose. The prior owners of Bucks Bakery Landsborough were looking to sell, and in “That was no mean feat,” Paula said.
Unfortunately, less than a year into retirement, Tim’s health deteriorated. He succumbed to heart failure on February 20, 2025.
Reflecting on their 25 years in Landsborough, Paula expressed her deep gratitude to the community. “Landsborough was very good to us, and we thank them for all their wonderful support,” she said.
