Richard L Scott

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Richard L Scott on June 21st, 2026. Richard left this world on the summer solstice, just seven days before his birthday (June 28th, 1941), and six days before his 55th wedding anniversary. He is survived by his beloved wife, Linda; their daughter Katie (Mike) Bradow; three grandchildren: Lark, Ames, and Ellis Bradow; his sister: Veneta (Bruce) Johnston; his sister-in-law: Betty Scott; his step-sister: Bonnie (Duane) Fullington; as well as many loving, wonderful nieces, nephews, and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents: Letitia Emmons (Scott) Babbs, Clyde Scott, and Roy Babbs; and his brother Clyde Scott Jr.

Richard was an incredible person who blazed his own path in every facet of life, approaching everything in a creative, out-of-the-box way that was uniquely his own, and leaving an indelible mark on all he encountered. A true renaissance man, he led magnetically in his work, entertained charismatically with his friends, engaged passionately in his many hobbies, and loved his family with his whole heart.

Richard quickly endeared himself to the world with his bright blue eyes, blonde curls, and impish humor. Always a deep, highly-intelligent thinker, Richard joined the Air Force, and after testing in the top percentiles, he was assigned to a missile-launch crew that was on alert in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis. While in Cheyenne, WY with the Air Force, Richard became involved in acting and producing local community theater. He eventually began working for an architect there, creating a foundation for a life-long love of design and a career in construction.

From Wyoming, Richard was hired by Lueder Commercial Construction in Omaha, Nebraska as a Project Manager, eventually working his way up to Vice President. He was assigned to build a hospital in Carroll, Iowa, and while there, word spread of his theater experience. He was then hired to start a community theater and direct its first play “Mary, Mary” all at the age of 29. The play was a smash-hit, but more importantly, it was there that he met the love of his life, Linda.

Richard was hired by Ferguson Construction Company in Sidney, Ohio and became its President in 1987. There he brought a new management style, creating an executive committee and department managers. In commercial construction, his emphasis was on safety with a conviction that a job well done would generate repeat business as evidenced with the large Honda project and its suppliers.

Devoted to bettering his community, Richard served as the board president of Wilson Hospital, a board member of Edison Community College, and a board member of The Dayton Art Institute. One notable contribution was his creation and development of the yearly Night for Edison charity orchestra concert which raises money for student scholarships. Richard also found time to volunteer with the Oblate Missionaries OMI, traveling to Haiti several times to work on post-earthquake recovery, to Mexico to help refurbish a church, and to Zambia to help establish an educational facility for candidates to the priesthood.

Throughout his life, Richard was a man of many passions and hobbies including: horses; driving vintage carriages; restoring and showing classic cars at numerous Concourse d’ Elegance events throughout the US, where he frequently won Best in Show and eventually acted as a judge; racing vintage cars with his Andiamo Racing Team; boating on his vintage 47’ Grand Banks Pegasus; enjoying and learning about food and wine; collecting diverse styles of art, with his Great Depression era collection shown at the Dayton Art Institute; and researching and authoring: Ceramics From The House of Amphora 1890-1915, a book detailing the history of the late 19th-century Austrian pottery which he loved and collected.

In his later years, Richard retained his wonderment and excitement for the world. He loved spending time with Linda, Katie, his son-in-law Mike, and his grandchildren; and painting model airplanes; reading voraciously; and challenging his mind at his puzzle table even as his health declined.

In the words of Robert Frost from one of his favorite poems, Richard truly chose the road “less traveled by” in his life, and his presence in the universe truly “made all the difference.” He will be deeply, and forever, missed and loved.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to The Community Foundation of Shelby County at: https://commfoun.com/donate/