Robert Scott Morrison

R. Scott Morrison, Jr. passed away on Monday evening, November 16 in Boca Raton. "Scott" had been surrounded by loving family and friends throughout the week and they were with him on the night of his passing. Born September 15, 1939 and raised as a fifth generation San Franciscan, he attended the Hotel, Restaurant and Management School at Michigan State University where he was president of the student body in 1961 and is currently represented on the hospitality school's "Wall of Fame." Following his college graduation in 1961, he attended Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne in Switzerland, the oldest hospitality education institution in the world, and then apprenticed at various European properties. He then held key positions with ITT Sheraton Corporation, Kiawah Island Company and Arvida Corporation, which included the chairmanship of the Five Star, Five Diamond Boca Raton Resort & Club. He was co-founder of the public company Successories and a founding stockholder in Extended Stay America. A frequent lecturer at Cornell, Michigan State, Florida Atlantic University and Palm Beach State College, he also built and opened three hotels for his own portfolio and consulted on countless projects in Japan, Europe and here in the United States. A coveted board member, he served as a director with Snavely Forest Products, Building Materials Holding Corporation, the Florida Hotel and Motel Association, chairman of the resort committee of the American Hotel and Motel Association, president of the Palm Beach County Hotel Motel Association and a vice president and director of Discover Palm Beach County, Inc. where he notably was instrumental in establishing Palm Beach County's first bed tax to benefit local cultural organizations. An active community volunteer and philanthropist, his contributions extended locally to advisory and board positions with the Junior League of Boca Raton, St. Andrews School, the former Caldwell Playhouse and the former College of Boca Raton. A Delray Beach and Santa Fe resident, with a vacation home in Cat Cay, Bahamas his out of town affiliations also included the Santa Fe Opera and Cat Cay Yacht Club board of directors. An avid outdoorsman, he loved fishing, hunting and traveling the world with his beloved wife, family and friends. He was a current member of the Boca Raton Resort & Club, the Bohemian Club, San Francisco; the Cat Cay Yacht Club, Bahamas; Gulf Stream Bath & Tennis Club and Seagate Clubs, Delray Beach. He is survived by his immediate family including his loving wife of 52 years, Norma; daughter Kelly Husak and grandchildren John Scott and Taylor; daughter Kim Lessard, son-in-law Terry and grandchildren Isabella and Abigail; daughter Kristin Guttroff, son-in-law RJ and grandchildren Georg and Gardner; son Robert Morrison III and grandson Winslow; as well as countless friends he considered family. A Mass of the Christian Burial will be held at 1:00 P.M. on Saturday, November 21, 2015 at St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church in Delray Beach Funeral arrangements entrusted to Babione-Kraeer Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Covenant House -- https://www.covenanthouse.org/homeless-charity/florida; St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church Care Ministries, http://www.stvincentferrer.com/ministries-organizations22/ministries-organizations/svf-care-ministry/, or New Hope Charities, http://www.newhopecharities.com/