Obituaries

Obituary: Dr. Willis E. Scott

Dr. Willis E. Scott
May 13, 1922 ~ Nov. 23, 2007
Dr. Willis E. Scott, (“Doc‚“ “Scotty‚“ “Will‚“ “Bill”) passed away peacefully in his home Nov. 23, 2007, surrounded by his three children, Pam Scott, Pat Torres and Scott Scott, and his niece Kim Lacy. He is also survived by his brother, Don (“Bus”) Scott and five grandchildren.
Doc Scott was born at Fortress Monroe, Va., May 13, 1922, to John L. and Dorothy Donnell Scott. His dad was in the Army and so the family moved many times during the course of his childhood. An active willowy kid, he was known to be impetuous, often saying exactly what he’d been told not to. He was a Boy Scout, along with his two brothers, “Bus” and John. As kids, their mother would take the three of them to the Donnell family farm in Maine, where they would swim in the ocean and play endlessly in the orchards. Those times in Maine remained some of his fondest memories.
He attended high school in Catonsville, Md., where he met some of his lifelong friends. The family was transferred to Elmhurst, Ill., where he and Bus attended Elmhurst College before World War II and their military service began. He was selected to be in the Army Special Training Program and Doc attended Texas A&M and Ohio State universities before being accepted to Saint Louis University School of Dentistry. He began his career in dentistry with military service during the Korean War, first at Fitzsimmons Army Hospital in Denver and then on Okinowa, Japan. He met Jean Barrett at Fitzsimmons and courted and married her just before his military duty was completed, in 1952. They moved to Meeker, Colo., where Doc opened his first private practice. Their daughter, Pam, was born in June 1953, and then, in August 1956, the twins, Pat and Scott, were born.
“Scotty” and Jean bought the Rio Theater and the house next to it after the twins were born and operated it until 1969. In about 1959, he opened another dental office in Craig, Colo., and split his time between Meeker and Craig for the next 10 years. During that time, he helped Jean and her mother, Dorothy Barrett, stage the Meeker Massacre every year at the Fourth of July Celebration, was involved with Jean and the children in competitive swimming, known as the “colorful” starter, dubbed “High ole, Silver” at the swim meets all over the western slope of Colorado, and was also involved in Curtain Call, a community theater group in Meeker, organized by Dorothy Barrett, becoming known for his roles as the Ghost of Christmas Past and George in “Our Town.”
In 1969, he and the family moved to Lakewood, Colo., where Doc practiced dentistry until he retired in the early 1980s. In his retirement, he drove a shuttle bus from west Denver to the airport and “spread good cheer,” as he would say, to all the travelers. During his last years, he lived comfortably in Lakewood, visiting his brother, Bus, for extended periods in Dallas, visits he cherished.
A memorial event will be held to celebrate his life July 19, 2008, at 1709 Glen Ayr Drive in Lakewood, Colo., 80215. Visitors are welcome at 11 a.m. with a short ceremony at 2 p.m. There will be a barbecue feast in his honor!

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  • It’s getting late, do you know where your kids are? Read all the Rio Happenings for this week in print or online at ht1885.com.
  • Mormon crickets have hatched near Rangely. They were all sighted on BLM land north of Hwy. 64 near the junction of CR 96 and CR 1, down a dirt road near the Moffat County line.  The picture shown was taken yesterday by Mary Meinen from Rangely. She says the crickets are about the size of a ladybug (less than 1/2”). Some of them are actually yellow in color but most of them are darker. They are milling around and getting ready to start moving soon. Note: Photo is not to scale.
Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch.  See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
  • Read part three of the story of M.T. Streeter in this week’s edition of History Lessons! Find it in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
  • Meeker FFA Chapter members competed at the District Leadership Development Event in Craig, Colorado, this month. Top row from left to right: Eva Scritchfield, Charlie Rogers, Alan Rivera, Trent Sanders, Koy Weber, Orion Musser, Said Rodriguez, Carlos Carrillo, Aidan Tapia, Hayden Garcia, Tristan Rollins, Mathew Willey, Quentin Simpson. Middle row: Sidney Keetch, Aurora Stallings, Sydnie Ross, Ava Nay, Lili Piper, Leah Wood. Bottom Row: Jaicee Simmons, Kailynn Watson, Cody Richardson, Kayla Castillo, Braydin Raley, Autumn Stallings, Aimee Shults, Emily Hamm. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
  • Choose-your-own-adventure…. Hear from our Editor in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
  • A crew from the Flat Tops Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation joined forces last summer to remove obsolete fences to improve habitat for wildlife. Read the full story and the foundation’s update from their 30th Anniversary meeting in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
  • Black Sulphur Tavern held a grand opening and ribbon cutting for their new business at 364 Seventh St. The space has been renovated with several TVs and games and provides a fun, friendly atmosphere to watch your favorite sports team and enjoy a burger and wings. Owners Frank Maestas and Pat Maestas are pictured with their new staff and Chamber of Commerce representatives Stephanie Hanson, Trudy Burri and Margie Joy. Follow Black Sulphur Tavern on Facebook. Their hours are Wednesday and Thursday 3-9 p.m., Friday 3 p.m. - 1 a.m., Saturday 11-1 a.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to midnight.
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It's that time again! Another edition of great local news stories is 
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Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! 
We appreciate all your continued support!
It's that time again! Another edition of great local news stories is 🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week. Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! We appreciate all your continued support!
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It’s getting late, do you know where your kids are? Read all the Rio Happenings for this week in print or online at ht1885.com.
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Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch.  See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
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A crew from the Flat Tops Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation joined forces last summer to remove obsolete fences to improve habitat for wildlife. Read the full story and the foundation’s update from their 30th Anniversary meeting in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
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