By God’s beautiful design, Scott and his family came into our lives a few short years ago. We soon came to realize that our youngest son, Kobe, and Scott’s daughter, Maggie would be graduating together in August 2020 from Skyline High School. They had been friends for quite some time, but “we” as the parents had unfortunately never met.

Scott and his wife, Wendy quickly became our close friends and they introduced us to many others, who also became friends, who we love dearly.

Our weekends began to consist of potlucks, campfires, and storytelling. Just what we were looking for, the “back to basics” of what is important. (My husband and I have learned over the years, after many deployments, that the material things are just not that important). We wanted connection, simplicity, and true, meaningful friendships. This is the gift that we received from Scott and Wendy.

Scott always loved telling the story of how he met Wendy while they were still teenagers. “She was the preppy girl with the turned-up collar, and I was the redneck who loved to hunt, 4-wheel, and camp”. Every time the story was told, they’d look at each other with the biggest smiles and a twinkle in their eyes. This is true love, the kind where you’ve been down in the trenches together, the good and the bad times, the heartbreak of burying a child, the joy of children and grandchildren being born. This is the real deal even after 37 years of marriage.

Scott was always helping his friends and neighbors. Often, he would help everyone else and go home to work on his own chores till late into the night. He NEVER met a stranger, and we would tease him that he knew everyone in VA, DC, and Maryland. The wealth of knowledge that he carried around on so many different subjects was astounding AND he was willing to share it with anyone who wanted to listen.

He was a man of faith, a devout Christian who walked the walk and made us all want to be better humans. We are all better people for having known him.

He was a storyteller and had a story for every occasion. Most were about his children, that he was incredibly proud of, and adventures with Wendy and their 8 children and life on their farm years ago. Those were some of the funniest stories and he would giggle thru the entire story. He loved his family with his whole heart.

On November 11, 2021, Scott came home from work as an appliance repairman. (He’s in and out of several homes a day and takes the precautions necessary). This day, he thought he was having an allergic reaction after being exposed to 6 cats in a client’s home and was having difficulty catching his breath. My husband checked on him, but Scott wasn’t willing to go to the doctor, so he let Scott rest at his home.

By the weekend, Scott, Wendy, myself, and my husband were all diagnosed with Covid. Scott was struggling to breathe with Covid Pneumonia and was taken to the hospital on three occasions. He was sent home each time, even after having an O2 sat of 84.

On Monday, November 15, my husband loaded Scott and Wendy up and took them to a hospital closer to the city. Scott was admitted and then moved to another hospital where he could receive the care he needed. We had no idea this would be our last moments with him and now we live with the regret of things we should have said but didn’t. So many of his friends texted him, prayed for him, and tried to cheer him until he was put on a ventilator on November 27.

Tuesday, December 21, 2021, Scott lost his battle and was called home. He has left behind the love of his life, Wendy, 7 children, 14 grandchildren, and his mother, as well as so many other friends and family. (Scott and Wendy lost their oldest son, Joseph in October 2016)

Their daughter, Samantha is in her senior year at Skyline High School and Maggie is taking online college classes. So, this fundraiser is to help with medical bills, (Scott was in ICU for 5 weeks), burial costs, schooling for the girls, and living expenses for Wendy and the girls. We know Scott would be there to take care of our family if tragedy struck and we want to honor his memory and take care of his family as well. This is already a stressful, painful time, and having some of the financial burden lifted will mean the world to this family.