Stuart Orlando Scott

Scott, born in Chicago, Illinois on July 19, 1965 is survived by his two daughters, Taelor, 19, and Sydni, 15; his parents, Jacqueline and O. Ray Scott Jr.; and his three older siblings Stephen Scott, Synthia Kearney, Susan Scott and their families. His girlfriend Kristin Spodobalski was with and cared for him every step of the way as did supportive, loving family, close friends and colleagues.

As he shared during his 2014 Jimmy V Perseverance ESPYs award acceptance speech, “When you die, that does not mean that you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and the manner in which you live. So live. Live. Fight like hell.” He beat cancer for 7 years. Stuart lived and fought cancer for two reasons - his love for his daughters. On July 16, Scott accepted the Jimmy V Perseverance Award at the ESPYs. During his speech, he expressed the following sentiment about his two daughters: "Taelor and Sydni, I love you guys more than I will ever be able to express. You two are my heartbeat. I am standing on this stage here tonight because of you."

For 21 years Stuart Scott was one of ESPN’s and ABC Sports’ most recognizable and quotable personalities and one of the most popular sportscasters around the world. His catchphrases including his most famous “Boo-ya” and “As cool as the other side of the pillow” have become an integral part of pop culture. While Scott became instantly known for his enthusiasm and colorful descriptions, he was always proud of the facts he would weave into his storytelling, recognizing that every great story is based in fact. After joining the network in 1993 for the launch of ESPN2 Scott turned into the lead anchor on Sportscenter where he anchored the 11pm show. Over the years, his talent and work ethic led to many additional high-profile assignments including major hosting roles on NFL and NBA programming. During his career with ESPN, Scott covered a slew of major events, including the NBA Finals, Super Bowl, Major League Baseball playoffs and World Series, the NCAA Final Four and more. From 2007-2011 Scott was the host of ABC Sports’ weekly NBA Sunday studio show, ESPN’s NBA studio show, and served as a host and courtside reporter during the NBA Finals Trophy presentation each year. Scott also hosted numerous ESPN and ABC series and specials, including Dream Job, Stump The Schwab, ESPN’s 25th Anniversary Special, and The ESPY Red Carpet Show. In addition to this busy TV schedule, Scott had also worked as a regular contributor to ESPN: The Magazine, ESPN Radio, and ESPN.com. Scott was featured in countless This is SportsCenter commercials, which he so enjoyed.

“ESPN and everyone in the sports world has lost a true friend and a uniquely inspirational figure in Stuart Scott,” said ESPN president John Skipper. “Who engages in mixed martial arts training in the midst of chemotherapy treatments? Who leaves a hospital procedure to return to the set? His energetic and unwavering devotion to his family and to his work while fighting the battle of his life left us in awe, and he leaves a void that can never be replaced.” Scott not only interviewed most of the world’s top athletes, he interviewed top celebrities, newsmakers, and politicians. Stuart spoke with and played a televised game of one-on-one basketball with President Barack Obama, and has had numerous one-on-one interviews with the likes of Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Denzel Washington and President Clinton. Hollywood and Madison Avenue also took notice of Scott’s wide appeal; he was in numerous high profile commercial campaigns. He appeared on many TV shows, sitcoms, feature films and music videos and was parodied in a Saturday Night Live skit.

In addition to being honored with the NABJ Award of Merit, he received a Rammy Award which pays tributes to superlative performances in athletics, academics and sports from his beloved alma mater, UNC-Chapel Hill and was a guest of honor at the 14th annual “An Evening with Heroes” celebration in Indianapolis, which benefits the Heroes Foundation. In 2011 he was additionally honored by The V Foundation with “The Spirit of Jimmy V Award.” He was a committed volunteer, instrumental in raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for The V Foundation, Livestrong, and participated in Stand Up To Cancer campaigns as well donating time to raise awareness and funds for numerous other charities. He always said a personal and professional highlight for him came in 2004, when he was requested by U.S. soldiers to be a part of ESPN’s SportsCenter: Salute the Troops effort, in which he and fellow anchors hosted a week of programs originating in Kuwait.

Prior to joining ESPN, Scott worked at local stations in Orlando, Florida; Raleigh, North Carolina and Florence, South Carolina. He was graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1987. One of his proudest moments was when he was invited to serve as commencement speaker at his alma mater in 2001, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At North Carolina he played wide receiver and defensive back for a club football team.

He was diagnosed with cancer in November 2007, and dealt with recurring bouts of the disease. He met the challenge as he did everything in his life - with determination, a courageous fighting spirit and an always positive attitude that impacted and inspired everyone who knew him.

In lieu of flowers, Stuart’s family asks that donations be made in his name to the Jimmy V Foundation at www.jimmyv.org