John N. Scott, Jr. was born at home in Panhandle, Texas, on March 28, 1930, to Noel and Eura (Waldron) Scott. At the age of six months, his mother was killed in an automobile accident in which she protected him as they were thrown through the cloth roof of a Model A Ford. “Johnny” was taken into the home of his grandparents, Rev. J. C. and Alta (Boyd) Scott, who provided a loving, Christian home. Of course, John would have liked to have known his mother, but in her absence, these grandparents provided a wonderful home, at times through much sacrifice. John accepted Christ as his Savior in August 1935 following a revival in a “brush arbor.” He was ordained a deacon in the Baptist Church in 1949.
After finishing high school at Throckmorton, Texas, John entered Howard Payne College in Brownwood, Texas, in 1947. In the middle of his sophomore year, he had to drop out of school for a year and half to earn money to continue. John majored in chemistry and minored in math and biology. He served as President of his senior class, graduating in May of 1952. In 1975, John completed the Executive Management Program of Stanford University, the equivalent of an MBA, and elected Class President.
Immediately after completing his education at Howard Payne, John and Freddie Lewis were married and moved to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, where John joined Phillips Petroleum Company as a Research Chemist. At about the time he joined Phillips, another chemist discovered a catalyst that would convert ethylene gas at low pressure to very tough and versatile plastics that are used in many applications that are familiar to everyone today. John joined the effort to develop and commercialize these new plastics. During this time, three precious children, John III, Carolyn and Kay, were born into their home.
In 1956, John joined the newly formed Plastics Division of Phillips Chemical Company.
John and his family moved to Waterloo, Belgium, in 1966, the first of nine career relocations, where he built and managed a plastic and rubber technical center, hiring about 100 people of 12 nationalities with the ability to speak 17 languages. This organization served Europe, Africa and the Middle East. He later also assumed the responsibility of Managing Director of the Company, responsible for sales in the Benelux countries. He learned to speak and conduct business in French. While in Belgium, John served a one-year term as President of the Board of the American Protestant Church of Brussels.
Following a wonderful experience in Europe, the family returned to the U.S. in late 1971 where John served Phillips in a number of capacities including Vice President and General Manager of Phillips’ plastic pipe company in Dallas, Texas; Vice President, Phillips Chemical Company; Vice President of Phillips Petroleum Company’s Federal Relations office in Washington, D.C.; and Chairman and CEO of Incinatrol, Inc. in Denver, Colorado. John ended his 40-year career as a Vice President of Phillips Petroleum Company and member of the Executive Committee. He retired in April 1992. In his career, John served on eight Boards of Directors of Phillips’ joint venture and subsidiary companies. He held 37 patents and was a frequent speaker. He was honored in 1997 as “Distinguished Alumnus” by the Ex-Students Association of Throckmorton High School and was given the Medal of Service award by Howard Payne University in 1998. He served on the Advisory Council of the School of Natural Sciences of the University of Texas from 1992 until 1997. In October 2021, John was inducted in the McElroy Company Fusion Hall of Fame in recognition of his role in the mutual success of McElroy’s pipe fusion business and Phillips Petroleum’s plastic pipe business.
In 1992, John and Freddie retired to The Hills, Texas, where they lived longer than anywhere in their married lives. They immediately joined The Lakeway Church where they served in several capacities. John was a member of the Board of Trustees three times and served as President twice. He participated in the negotiation and separation of the Protestant and Catholic Churches, the purchase of land for future expansion of the Church and in raising funds for the building of the Christian Education and Fellowship facility. He served as Chairman of two search committees. In addition, he loved to sing in the Chancel Choir.
In May 2010, Freddie departed this life to be with Christ in Heaven. On January 7, 2012, after many long and lonely months, John married Gwen Lawrence, a wonderful lady who had been a friend to John and Freddie for many years. She brought much happiness and a bright spot to a lonely life. In this way God blessed John a second time with another wonderful Christian wife and companion. Sadly, Gwen died an untimely death of lung cancer October 28, 2016. God then blessed John with marriage to another wonderful Christian lady, Jill Steinle, on November 25, 2018. Toward the end of his life, John paid tribute to Jill as a wonderful wife who was very attentive and supportive and whom he loved very much. She brought much brightness and happiness to the Scott family home.
In addition to his church work in retirement, John served on the first Hills Club Advisory Committee as President of the Men’s Golf Association and as President of the Hills Property Owners Association. He served as Consultant to The High Voltage Environmental Application Corp. and as a Board member of The S-P Corporation.
John would like to be remembered as one that loved the Lord, his family, friends and all little children.
John was preceded in death by his grandparents who raised him, his mother, father, first wife of 58 years, Freddie, his second wife of 4 years, Gwen; his sister, Belva, and many friends, both in Europe and the US. He is survived by his wife, Jill (Steinle); John’s son, John Scott III and wife Gail, and their children Amanda and husband Justin, Johnny and wife April, and Jarrett; his daughter Carolyn Scott and her daughters Erin and Katie; his daughter Kay and husband Hardy Frank; five great grandchildren; brother Tencil Scott and wife Brenda, brother-in-law, Jack Beckett, Gwen’s son, Matthew Lawrence, his wife Beth and daughter Meagan; Jill’s sons, Randy, wife, Beth and their children Josiah and wife Ali, Anna and husband Jimmy, Noah and Autumn; Rich and wife Tracy and their sons Jack, Owen and Charlie; his Waldron family cousins and many, many friends here and around the world.
A Celebration of Life will be held in the new sanctuary at The Lakeway Church, 2203 Lakeway Blvd, Lakeway, Texas 78734, on Saturday, May 14, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. Reception to follow. (“Give” at lakewaychurch.org)
In lieu of flowers, donations to The Lakeway Church Scholarship Fund would be appreciated.
