Lois Eileen Gish Scott

Lois Eileen Gish Scott died peacefully at her home on Saturday, October 19, 2013. Born July 8, 1921 in Pittsburgh, PA to Oliver Holmes Gish and Edna Miller Gish, she was preceded in death by her husband, Donald Charles Scott and a sister, Pauline Gish Culling. Lois grew up in Chevy Chase, MD and graduated high school there. She went on to attend the University of Michigan where she graduated with honors, earning a BS in zoology. It was at Michigan, on a bird watching expedition, that she met fellow student, Donald C. Scott who became her best friend and husband of 55 years. Lois and D.C. were married in the summer of 1942. They attended graduate school at the University of Indiana, where Lois researched salamanders and D.C. earned his doctorate in zoology. Athens, GA became home when D.C. accepted a faculty position at the University of Georgia in 1947. Lois taught laboratory sessions in histology and embryology in the College of Veterinary Medicine at UGA before starting a family.

She was a true renaissance woman with a broad knowledge of science and literature. A lover of language, she was an avid reader, memorized many of her favorite poems, and was the family crossword puzzle and SCRABBLE champion. She was known as a clever, genuine person with a wry sense of humor whose home welcomed a diverse crowd. Together, Lois and D.C. cultivated an amazing array of azaleas and rhododendrons. Armed with a map, binoculars, and a sense of adventure, Lois and D.C. traveled the United States extensively, exploring historic and natural sites until his death in 1997. In 2011, she traveled with her daughters to North Dakota, meeting her goal of visiting all of the continental United States. Lois also traveled to Europe with her older sister, Eleanor, on four memorable journeys, one of which they shared with their then twelve year old granddaughters.

Lois is survived by her five children, Laurie Scott, Ann Ellis (Noel), Karl Scott (Beth), Jane Boyd (Richard), and Donna Scott; four grandchildren, Remi Sasha Chew, Samuel Conrad Scott, Olivia Frances Boyd, and Augustus Scott Boyd; a sister, Eleanor Gish Crow, Boulder, CO; a brother, Donald Miller Gish (Dot), Silver Spring, MD; many nieces and a nephew, great nieces and nephews. The family expresses it gratitude to a very special team of caregivers headed by Nancy Scott and including Noma Milsap and Rahel Habte. Thank you so much for the love and support provided over the past 18 months.

Lois supported many causes that reflected her desire to protect and preserve nature. In lieu of flowers, you may remember her by donating to one of the following: Sandy Creek Nature Center, Georgia Museum of Natural History, or the Broad River Watershed Association.

Online condolences maybe made at www.bernsteinfuneralhome.com

Bernstein Funeral Home and Cremation Service are in charge of arrangements.