Edward Maynard Scott Sr.

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Edward “Eddie” Maynard Scott was born on April 9, 1932, in Philadelphia, Tennessee to Maynard and Louise Mitchell Scott. He was the youngest of their four children. His parents separated when he was young, and he was raised by his mother in Cleveland, Tennessee, alongside his siblings Elizabeth “Liz” Scott Thielke, Lillian “Dee” Scott Samuel, and Donald “Don” H. Scott. He graduated from Bradley Central High School in 1950. He received scholarships from Tennessee Tech University for football and an Army ROTC scholarship.

As was noted when he was inducted to the Tennessee Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 2007, Eddie Scott “made significant contributions to Tennessee Tech as a student athlete from 1950 to 1954, helping the Golden Eagles surface as a power in both football and track & field. As a receiver on the TTU football team under coaches Putty Overall and Wilburn Tucker, Scott was considered a prolific pass catcher who nabbed any ball thrown near him, and he also was recognized for an uncanny ability to run with the ball, turning catches into long gains. He earned a total of five letters as a Golden Eagle student-athlete, with three in football and two in track & field. On the gridiron, he was a starter at end for three years on offense and started two seasons on defense at cornerback. He was named to the OVC all-conference squad in football in 1952, and also earned All-Tri-State honors the same year among small colleges in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama. During the 1951 season, he caught two touchdown passes against SEC powerhouse Kentucky, and in 1952 he established a school single-season record with 579 receiving yards, a number which stood until 1975. In 1953, he played in Tech’s first bowl game, appearing in the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando, Fla. In track, he competed in the pole vault, high jump, and sprints. In 1952, he finished first in the OVC Championships in the pole vault.”

In addition to his athletic accomplishments while at Tech, Eddie dated the homecoming queen, Miriam Eve Gilpin. He received his bachelor’s degree from Tennessee Tech University in 1954, and later earned a master’s degree from Tech in 1966. Following his college graduation, he coached high school football for a year before receiving his commission, based on his successful completion of Tech’s ROTC program, as an Army officer in 1955. He married Miriam Eve Gilpin on September 10, 1955, in Nashville, Tennessee.

Eddie served his country with distinction in the U.S. Army for 20 years. He served in various leadership roles, including Company Commander, Battalion Commander, Brigade Executive Officer and Secretary to the Director of Plans and Joint Chiefs of Staff. He received numerous honors, including the Meritorious Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Joint Service Command Medal, the Bronze Star for service in Vietnam, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Legion of Merit. He was a graduate of the U. S. Army Command and General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth, KS. Eddie served on the ROTC staff at Tech from 1963 to 1966, and was officer in charge of the Tech Rifle Team in 1963 that claimed the unofficial OVC championship. His military service took him to Ft. Gordon, GA; Wurzburg, Germany; Rocky Mt. Arsenal, CO; Ft. Monmouth, NJ; Taegu, South Korea; Cookeville, TN; South Vietnam; Ft. Leavenworth, KS; Washington DC; Heidelberg, Germany; Karlsruhe, Germany; and, Ft. Bragg, NC. He was supported in his military endeavors by Miriam who was the consummate military wife and mother to their four children. He retired with the rank of Lt. Colonel in 1975.

Ten years before his retirement, Eddie and Miriam found the perfect location to spend their retirement years. In 1975, they built their dream home in the woods beside a creek where they happily resided for the rest of their lives. In his retirement, Eddie owned and operated a saw blade business for many years where he sharpened blades and made bandsaws for use in furniture factories in the Cookeville area. He grew a large garden every summer. He and Miriam enjoyed get-togethers with their family and their many friends. Eddie was an ardent supporter of Tennessee Tech Football. He attended his last Tech game on September 10, 2022, when he was recognized as a member of the Tennessee Tech Football All-Century Team and walked out onto the field with several former players including his close friends, Leonard “Sonny” Allen and Ken Broyles, as his entire family watched.

Eddie enjoyed hunting, mostly birds, and participated in shooting sports on multiple continents during his military career. He continued to dove and quail hunt after his retirement to Tennessee. He enjoyed the companionship of many good bird dogs over the years, including Cinnamon, Sage, Janna, Jannick, Bo, and Rebel. In his last years, he was adopted by a neighbor’s Great Pyrenees, Sadie. An avid tennis player, Eddie played competitively into his 70s and won several local tournaments.

His wife and children were the most important things in the world to Eddie. In 1983, his first grandchild was born, and he was proudly known thereafter as “Pop-o.”

After a period of declining health, Eddie passed away peacefully on April 8, 2024, one day shy of his 92nd birthday, at Cookeville Regional Medical Center. He was predeceased by his parents, his brother, Don Scott, his sister, Dee Samuel, and his wife of 68 years, Miriam Eve Gilpin Scott, who only predeceased him by six days. He is survived by his sister, Liz Thielke, and his four children and their families: Edward M. Scott, Jr., his wife, Candy, of Traveler’s Rest, SC, their son, Edward M. “Trey” Scott, III, and daughter, Savannah Scott Mitchell (husband, Graham Mitchell, and baby Mitchell expected in July 2024); Mitchell H. Scott, his wife, Jacqueline B. Dixon, of Nashville, TN, and their family Savannah E. Martinez and Carmen G. Martinez; Becky Scott Gray, her husband, David Gray, of Grafenwoehr, Germany, and their children, Erin Gray and Dane Gray; and, Sandy Scott Tinsley of Knoxville, TN, her children, Will Tinsley (wife, Robin, and son, Barrett), Andrew Tinsley (wife, Emily, and son, Weston), and Rachael Tinsley. He is also survived by several cousins, nieces, and nephews.

A graveside service will be held at the East Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee.