1924
Wayne
2014
Wayne Scott
November 5, 1924 — August 2, 2014
Wayne Wallace Scott, 89, died in Christ on Saturday, August 2, 2014, passing away peacefully at the Assisted Living Facility of Lakeview Village Retirement Community.
Wayne was born the elder of two sons to John W. and Fern H. Scott on November 5, 1924, on a small rented farm ESE of the small town of Shelby, Nebraska. At the age of 2 or 3 the family moved to what became known as the “Old Home Place”, a beautiful scenic piece of farmland with a frontier life history, including a tree once used as a lookout for signs of trouble from Indians, tornadoes or prairie fires. It was here that his brother, Tom, was born…a sibling that Wayne respected and loved his entire life.
Although scenic, the land was difficult to till, and, when Wayne was 7, the family moved to a flatland farm SE of Shelby. This was where Wayne grew up, through good times (the first few years, when rains were plentiful and crops thrived) and bad times (when beset by the drought and dust storms of the ‘30’s). Stubborn and persevering, indicative of a Scottish heritage, the Scott family refused to follow the migration of farm families from the area, weathered the storms, and were eventually rewarded with rains and years of prosperity.
After graduation from Shelby High School (having skipped a couple of grades), Wayne took the life lessons he’d learned from those tough times and left the farm, in pursuit of college and a different life. He attended the Omaha campus of the University of Nebraska for a year, but then, following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Wayne joined the Army Air Corp…at the tender age of 17, which forced him to wait another year to be activated and pursue his dream of becoming a fighter pilot…a year spent completing his sophomore year at Omaha.
Much to his disappointment, the placement of Cadets was determined by quotas, and, although he graduated from Cadet training with a special commendation for excellence, Wayne’s pilot dreams were met with the reality of a commission as a Navigator…eventually leading to training as a Navigator/Radar Bombardier on a B-29 crew…with orders for Okinawa. While eagerly awaiting some “real action”, with the impatience of his youth, Wayne’s final military disappointment came with the ending of the war, and his discharge in early 1946, having seen none of the excitement of active combat.
The single high point of Wayne’s military experience came during his early Cadet training at the Moorhead campus of Minnesota State Teachers College, where he met a young woman that would change his life forever. Inez Laverne Marks caught Wayne’s eye…and captured his heart. Their marriage in October of 1945 lasted 60 years, until her passing in 2005.
Upon exiting the Air Corp, Wayne enrolled at the Lincoln campus of the University of Nebraska, graduating in March of 1948 with honors and a degree in Electrical Engineering, and with a son and his only child, Michael, born on Wayne’s birthday as Inez’s birthday present to Wayne the previous year. He was soon offered a job with Kansas City Power and Light, moved the family to Prairie Village and eventually to Overland Park, Kansas.
Wayne said many times in his 40 years with Kansas City Power and Light that it was by far the best company he could possibly work for. Over the course of his successful professional career, he moved through various roles of increasing significance, wrote books and manuals on power systems protection that are still considered state-of-the-art, introduced computer aided drafting to the engineers years before many other firms even considered it, and gained promotions based on the excellence of his performance, eventually becoming the Senior Manager of Electrical Engineering.
After retiring in 1989, Wayne and Inez focused on traveling, often on sight-seeing tours and cruises, but also, when their health allowed it, visiting their four grandkids and, eventually, six great-grandkids…at least as much as Inez’s failing health would allow.
The passing of his beloved wife, Inez, in late 2005 was devastating to Wayne, a blow from which he never really fully recovered. In his final months, he repeatedly mentioned how much he missed her, and how much he looked forward to being with her once again.
In quick summary, Wayne Wallace Scott was a good man, a humble, quiet, giving man with simple farming roots, who became one of the country’s brightest electrical engineers. Wayne was a loving and devoted husband, a proud and caring father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He was a true friend to almost anyone fortunate enough to know him well, a man who was happiest when doing things for others.
Wayne leaves behind his son, Michael; Michael’s wife of 46 years, Karen; grandson, Brian, his wife, Melissa, their son, Nolan and their daughter, Darian; grandson, Damon, his wife, Christy, their sons, Zachary and twins, Trent and Tyler; granddaughter, Shannon, her husband, Michael, their son, Jareth; and grandson, Brandon, who resides with his parents, Michael and Karen. Wayne additionally leaves behind his cherished brother, Tom and his wonderful family.
A service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, August 8, 2014, at the Johnson County Chapel, 11200 Metcalf Ave, Overland Park, KS. The family will greet friends from 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. Entombment will follow at the Johnson County Memorial Gardens, Overland Park, KS.
Wayne was born the elder of two sons to John W. and Fern H. Scott on November 5, 1924, on a small rented farm ESE of the small town of Shelby, Nebraska. At the age of 2 or 3 the family moved to what became known as the “Old Home Place”, a beautiful scenic piece of farmland with a frontier life history, including a tree once used as a lookout for signs of trouble from Indians, tornadoes or prairie fires. It was here that his brother, Tom, was born…a sibling that Wayne respected and loved his entire life.
Although scenic, the land was difficult to till, and, when Wayne was 7, the family moved to a flatland farm SE of Shelby. This was where Wayne grew up, through good times (the first few years, when rains were plentiful and crops thrived) and bad times (when beset by the drought and dust storms of the ‘30’s). Stubborn and persevering, indicative of a Scottish heritage, the Scott family refused to follow the migration of farm families from the area, weathered the storms, and were eventually rewarded with rains and years of prosperity.
After graduation from Shelby High School (having skipped a couple of grades), Wayne took the life lessons he’d learned from those tough times and left the farm, in pursuit of college and a different life. He attended the Omaha campus of the University of Nebraska for a year, but then, following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Wayne joined the Army Air Corp…at the tender age of 17, which forced him to wait another year to be activated and pursue his dream of becoming a fighter pilot…a year spent completing his sophomore year at Omaha.
Much to his disappointment, the placement of Cadets was determined by quotas, and, although he graduated from Cadet training with a special commendation for excellence, Wayne’s pilot dreams were met with the reality of a commission as a Navigator…eventually leading to training as a Navigator/Radar Bombardier on a B-29 crew…with orders for Okinawa. While eagerly awaiting some “real action”, with the impatience of his youth, Wayne’s final military disappointment came with the ending of the war, and his discharge in early 1946, having seen none of the excitement of active combat.
The single high point of Wayne’s military experience came during his early Cadet training at the Moorhead campus of Minnesota State Teachers College, where he met a young woman that would change his life forever. Inez Laverne Marks caught Wayne’s eye…and captured his heart. Their marriage in October of 1945 lasted 60 years, until her passing in 2005.
Upon exiting the Air Corp, Wayne enrolled at the Lincoln campus of the University of Nebraska, graduating in March of 1948 with honors and a degree in Electrical Engineering, and with a son and his only child, Michael, born on Wayne’s birthday as Inez’s birthday present to Wayne the previous year. He was soon offered a job with Kansas City Power and Light, moved the family to Prairie Village and eventually to Overland Park, Kansas.
Wayne said many times in his 40 years with Kansas City Power and Light that it was by far the best company he could possibly work for. Over the course of his successful professional career, he moved through various roles of increasing significance, wrote books and manuals on power systems protection that are still considered state-of-the-art, introduced computer aided drafting to the engineers years before many other firms even considered it, and gained promotions based on the excellence of his performance, eventually becoming the Senior Manager of Electrical Engineering.
After retiring in 1989, Wayne and Inez focused on traveling, often on sight-seeing tours and cruises, but also, when their health allowed it, visiting their four grandkids and, eventually, six great-grandkids…at least as much as Inez’s failing health would allow.
The passing of his beloved wife, Inez, in late 2005 was devastating to Wayne, a blow from which he never really fully recovered. In his final months, he repeatedly mentioned how much he missed her, and how much he looked forward to being with her once again.
In quick summary, Wayne Wallace Scott was a good man, a humble, quiet, giving man with simple farming roots, who became one of the country’s brightest electrical engineers. Wayne was a loving and devoted husband, a proud and caring father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He was a true friend to almost anyone fortunate enough to know him well, a man who was happiest when doing things for others.
Wayne leaves behind his son, Michael; Michael’s wife of 46 years, Karen; grandson, Brian, his wife, Melissa, their son, Nolan and their daughter, Darian; grandson, Damon, his wife, Christy, their sons, Zachary and twins, Trent and Tyler; granddaughter, Shannon, her husband, Michael, their son, Jareth; and grandson, Brandon, who resides with his parents, Michael and Karen. Wayne additionally leaves behind his cherished brother, Tom and his wonderful family.
A service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, August 8, 2014, at the Johnson County Chapel, 11200 Metcalf Ave, Overland Park, KS. The family will greet friends from 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. Entombment will follow at the Johnson County Memorial Gardens, Overland Park, KS.
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