Elaine Marguerite Scott

Scott, Elaine Marguerite, 89, homemaker, passed away Thursday, June 22, 2017. Memorial service: Noon Saturday, July 1, 2017, West Side Baptist Church 304 S. Seneca. Elaine is preceded in death by her daughter Linda S. Simmons and husband Claude I. Scott. Survivors: brother Don Meyer of Charleston, MO; children, H. DeLynne Merrill of Davenport, FL, James R. Scott of Lenexa, KS, David M. Scott of Wichita, Richard A Cooper of Wichita; 16 grandchildren including Marsha Dull of Terre Haute, IN and Steven Simmons of Lawrenceburg, KY; 19 great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to West Side Baptist Church. Arrangements with Culbertson-Smith Mortuary.

Elaine Scott passed quietly on the afternoon of June 22, 2017 on a Thursday. It was the end of a long battle with cancer. She suffered from Parkinson’s Disease which left her shaking and unable to move about safely. In those last few weeks she could no longer get up out of bed and move around. In those last years of her life she struggled with skin cancer on her face and the connection with her memory. Her first rounds of Parkinson’s left her unable to exercise or move like she liked to … she was a avid golfer and bowler.

Elaine loved to play the violin and piano. She loved to walk and go to parks. She was always active in the choirs at church singing hymns of praise on many Sundays at the Westside Baptist Church. Many of Elaine’s children and some of her grandchildren have sung with her in the same choir.

Elaine was talented musically having been blessed with perfect pitch and a musical family. Her dad, Joseph Meyers, was well known throughout the New York City area where he played banjo in many of the hotels. Elaine knew all the old songs and could pipe in with perfect harmony. She not only played violin and piano, she even picked up bass guitar as one of the original members of the band “The Air Capital Pickers” created by her husband, Scotty. Elaine and her husband Scotty sang, played, golfed, bowled, and traveled together. Scotty always referred to her as his princess.

For her part, Elaine would respond to difficult situations successfully with, “dear”. And that would clearly be enough for her husband to get the message. She had this way of listening and then raising her eyebrows at you and saying, “really”. I’m amazed at how she did keep the peace often with few words. Even in music if one was out of tune on a string on the guitar, her voice would quietly say, the D string is sharp.

After ten years of playing “The Air Capital Pickers” in one particular nursing home, my Father was pulled aside by an elderly gentleman who wanted to return a favor to my Father (and Mother) for always being there to share music for them. He taught my parents how to save, invest, and get their money to work for them. Elaine saved every penny of what she earned while they lived on one income. Working together they owned 9 homes, their cars, and had enough put away to run their own business from their home. In seven years they had become financially independent. As a gift for her support, my Father helped her travel yearly to Europe and England for the rest of her life. She traveled yearly to Europe and England and developed many friends overseas. They helped many others become financially solvent.

An old war injury kept her husband Scotty from being able to travel long distances like to Europe or England. One of the last trips they made together was on a cruise to Alaska. They did enjoy quite a few trips to Arkansas, Oklahoma, and even Las Vegas where they enjoyed country and gospel singing. They often volunteered to help others. Elaine loved to spend time at the Via Christi Hospital as a volunteer and was there as a regular fixture for many years. Elaine and Scotty went back and took classes at Wichita State University. Elaine graduated with honors in 1982 with a Bachelor of General Studies. They were always learning as well as striving to help other people.

Over the years I’ve rarely seen Elaine without a book in her hand. She loved to read. After one particularly difficult operation on her hip, I (David Scott) read to her out of a book about seagulls — Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Elaine enjoyed that moment for her shakiness had prevented her from enjoying reading those last few years.

The Parkinson’s left her unable to sense what she could and could not do physically. She had to be watched 24 by 7 to keep her safe from simply walking and falling. She never left her wit behind and always had something to say about everything and everyone around her. It was hard on her to not be up and doing something about life.

Elaine had to overcome skin cancer many times. It took out her cheeks first and then her nose. She had her whole face reconstructed from her forehead. She never wanted to go through that same ordeal again. Unfortunately, it came back and she fought it with her best efforts. It eventually took her life.

Elaine overcame her memory problems and was able to make her own decisions her entire life. Even in the last week of life she had a clear understanding of who she was and those around her. Although she could no longer sing in the choir from the effect of Parkinson’s on her voice, her ability to sing clear harmony in pitch never left her. Her memory of the words from her favorite songs never left her.

In the months leading up to her last breath, we had a gathering about her for her final request to see her pups as she called us one last time. We sang songs with her and talked back forth about our lives. Her voice was clear, her harmonies were still amazing. It was her last wish come true at a moment we will all never forget.