Bob Scott's Tribute Page
Created by
Theresa Collar
Bob Scott
Robert M “Bob" Scott
August 21, 1928 – August 15, 2024
Bob Scott was an eternal optimist. He lived each day with a smile in his heart and a love for the life that he had. If you knew him, you loved him. He had such a way of making EVERYBODY feel loved and valued – always. Everybody included the “love of his life”, his wife, Alice, his three children Dave, Theresa and Lew, his “perfect grandchildren”, Amy, Jason and Daniel, and his 4 “do no wrong” great-grandchildren, Amaya, Jonah, Robbie, and Natalie. However, “everybody” also included John, Janie, and Lanette, all of his extended family, his music students, their families, his music colleagues, his neighbors, his neighbors’ kids, friends from all aspects of his life, and even those who helped him at the grocery store. He was one of the friendliest, kindest men you’d ever meet and he made an impact on you even if he wasn’t a part of your everyday life. He had the most incredible sense of humor, always had a smile on his face, and laughed the hardest at his own jokes!
Bob was born in Pittsburg, Kansas, to Opal and William Scott. Growing up, he lived in Pittsburg and started college at Pittsburg State before auditioning for the Navy Band on trumpet in 1949. This audition led to a 10 year stay in the Navy, which included playing for Harry Truman’s inauguration. While he was stationed in Corpus Christi, Texas, Alice auditioned to sing with the navy band. That audition resulted in “the best decision he ever made” because they fell in love, married in 1952, and began their life of family, love, and music. After a few years in Texas and Alaska, they moved to the Midwest with their 3 young children in 1958. There, Bob went back to school at Pittsburg State and received his degree in music education. He began directing bands in Kansas before they found their way to Missouri in 1960 where they lived in Lamar, Kansas City, and Kirksville, before moving to Springfield, their home for 43 years. Their final years were in New Paltz, NY, living with their youngest son, Lew. Each new home brought another new band and another opportunity to help young musicians grow under his leadership. Bob devoted his life to music. He was an enthusiastic champion of music education in Missouri, a founding member of Missouri Bandmasters Association, and its first president. He also received numerous awards for excellence in music education during his lifetime. His former students and colleagues talk of the way he changed their lives, inspired them to be better, and of course, knew that he always found value in those who crossed his path. His sons followed him into music with their careers, and his daughter and grandson followed him into education. He was like that – constantly inspiring others’ lives with the way he lived his own. Bob loved teaching and conducting so much that he frequently said, “I never worked a day in my life!”
Bob and Alice were one of the great love stories to all who knew them. You couldn’t just talk about one of them, you had to talk about both of them because of the way they were both integral to the duo of Bob and Alice, Alice and Bob. In 1972, they moved to Springfield, MO, where Bob was the Band Director, Chair of the Music Department, and finally, Dean of Arts and Letters at Missouri State. Their home was frequently the location of gatherings for other band directors, former students, clinicians, family, and friends. Bob was known for his barbecue and chili and Alice was an amazing cook! They were the perfect combo. Music may have brought them together, but they also shared a love of sports and were impassioned fans of the KC Chiefs, KC Royals, and the Missouri State Bears.
Their three children grew up in a home where they felt loved unconditionally, but there was still plenty of room in their hearts for their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In 1982, Amy, the first grandchild arrived, one day after their 30th anniversary, Bob and Alice fell head-over-heels in love with her instantly. When Amy was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, 10 years later, her grandparents rallied around her and supported her in every way that they could – through hospitalizations, her transplant, and all the times in between. It was during this time that Bob and Alice began supporting the work of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and became regular donors for the organization. In the spring of 2009, after Amy had passed earlier that year, Team Amy was formed to honor her sweet memory in a way that could also support the lifesaving work of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The team was created so that Amy’s family and friends could collectively participate in the CFF’s Great Strides Walk, an annual fundraising event for the organization. Bob and Alice walked in our first Team Amy Walk and throughout the team’s existence, they were generous donors for the team. When Alice passed in August of 2020, Bob knew immediately that he wanted to honor his wife’s beautiful memory by continuing to support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in her name. Bob passed last year on August 15, and we knew that we also wanted to honor his amazing spirit and memory by creating a way to donate to the CFF in his name, but in a way that would also honor his granddaughter, Amy, whom he loved so much.
So that we might honor the memories of both Bob and Amy, in lieu of flowers, the family has requested that any donations be made on Team Amy’s behalf to help support the team’s efforts to raise money for the CFF. All donations will be credited to Team Amy of the Orange County Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. We thank you in advance for any donations made in memory of Bob’s well-lived life and the spirit in which he supported his granddaughter, Amy, as well as the lives of all those born with CF. It is so fitting, even in his passing, that the lives of both Bob and Amy are so connected in such a meaningful, loving way, just as they were when they were both here.
August 21, 1928 – August 15, 2024
Bob Scott was an eternal optimist. He lived each day with a smile in his heart and a love for the life that he had. If you knew him, you loved him. He had such a way of making EVERYBODY feel loved and valued – always. Everybody included the “love of his life”, his wife, Alice, his three children Dave, Theresa and Lew, his “perfect grandchildren”, Amy, Jason and Daniel, and his 4 “do no wrong” great-grandchildren, Amaya, Jonah, Robbie, and Natalie. However, “everybody” also included John, Janie, and Lanette, all of his extended family, his music students, their families, his music colleagues, his neighbors, his neighbors’ kids, friends from all aspects of his life, and even those who helped him at the grocery store. He was one of the friendliest, kindest men you’d ever meet and he made an impact on you even if he wasn’t a part of your everyday life. He had the most incredible sense of humor, always had a smile on his face, and laughed the hardest at his own jokes!
Bob was born in Pittsburg, Kansas, to Opal and William Scott. Growing up, he lived in Pittsburg and started college at Pittsburg State before auditioning for the Navy Band on trumpet in 1949. This audition led to a 10 year stay in the Navy, which included playing for Harry Truman’s inauguration. While he was stationed in Corpus Christi, Texas, Alice auditioned to sing with the navy band. That audition resulted in “the best decision he ever made” because they fell in love, married in 1952, and began their life of family, love, and music. After a few years in Texas and Alaska, they moved to the Midwest with their 3 young children in 1958. There, Bob went back to school at Pittsburg State and received his degree in music education. He began directing bands in Kansas before they found their way to Missouri in 1960 where they lived in Lamar, Kansas City, and Kirksville, before moving to Springfield, their home for 43 years. Their final years were in New Paltz, NY, living with their youngest son, Lew. Each new home brought another new band and another opportunity to help young musicians grow under his leadership. Bob devoted his life to music. He was an enthusiastic champion of music education in Missouri, a founding member of Missouri Bandmasters Association, and its first president. He also received numerous awards for excellence in music education during his lifetime. His former students and colleagues talk of the way he changed their lives, inspired them to be better, and of course, knew that he always found value in those who crossed his path. His sons followed him into music with their careers, and his daughter and grandson followed him into education. He was like that – constantly inspiring others’ lives with the way he lived his own. Bob loved teaching and conducting so much that he frequently said, “I never worked a day in my life!”
Bob and Alice were one of the great love stories to all who knew them. You couldn’t just talk about one of them, you had to talk about both of them because of the way they were both integral to the duo of Bob and Alice, Alice and Bob. In 1972, they moved to Springfield, MO, where Bob was the Band Director, Chair of the Music Department, and finally, Dean of Arts and Letters at Missouri State. Their home was frequently the location of gatherings for other band directors, former students, clinicians, family, and friends. Bob was known for his barbecue and chili and Alice was an amazing cook! They were the perfect combo. Music may have brought them together, but they also shared a love of sports and were impassioned fans of the KC Chiefs, KC Royals, and the Missouri State Bears.
Their three children grew up in a home where they felt loved unconditionally, but there was still plenty of room in their hearts for their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In 1982, Amy, the first grandchild arrived, one day after their 30th anniversary, Bob and Alice fell head-over-heels in love with her instantly. When Amy was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, 10 years later, her grandparents rallied around her and supported her in every way that they could – through hospitalizations, her transplant, and all the times in between. It was during this time that Bob and Alice began supporting the work of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and became regular donors for the organization. In the spring of 2009, after Amy had passed earlier that year, Team Amy was formed to honor her sweet memory in a way that could also support the lifesaving work of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The team was created so that Amy’s family and friends could collectively participate in the CFF’s Great Strides Walk, an annual fundraising event for the organization. Bob and Alice walked in our first Team Amy Walk and throughout the team’s existence, they were generous donors for the team. When Alice passed in August of 2020, Bob knew immediately that he wanted to honor his wife’s beautiful memory by continuing to support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in her name. Bob passed last year on August 15, and we knew that we also wanted to honor his amazing spirit and memory by creating a way to donate to the CFF in his name, but in a way that would also honor his granddaughter, Amy, whom he loved so much.
So that we might honor the memories of both Bob and Amy, in lieu of flowers, the family has requested that any donations be made on Team Amy’s behalf to help support the team’s efforts to raise money for the CFF. All donations will be credited to Team Amy of the Orange County Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. We thank you in advance for any donations made in memory of Bob’s well-lived life and the spirit in which he supported his granddaughter, Amy, as well as the lives of all those born with CF. It is so fitting, even in his passing, that the lives of both Bob and Amy are so connected in such a meaningful, loving way, just as they were when they were both here.
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