Fred Granville Scott, Jr., age 87, died peacefully at his home in Mount Pleasant the morning of Dec. 26, 2018.
He is survived by his wife Patricia Musso Scott, his sister Adalia Scott Rhodes and her husband George Edward, his brother William Scott and his wife Donna; his four children and their families: Douglas Scott and his wife Patricia, W. Robert Scott and his children Silas and Shem, Elizabeth Scott McMillan, her husband John, and their children Ian, Peter, Marianna and Sarah, and Suzanne Scott McDowell and her children Robert and Mariah.
He is also survived by his brother-in-law, Robert Musso; sisters-in-law, Linda Koblyk and Katherine Tomlinson and their husbands Nick and Laurie; and by many beloved nieces and nephews.
Fred was predeceased by his parents, Fred and Charlotte Scott and by his sister, Janet Scott Allsbrook.
Born in 1931 in Fort Worth, Texas, to Charlotte Housel Scott and Fred Granville Scott Sr., Fred moved with his family to Charleston in 1936 where he spent his childhood on St. Margaret Street in Wagener Terrace.
He was steadfastly proud, and considered himself blessed, that he had the opportunity to live as a Charlestonian his whole life — often proclaiming himself “privileged to have played and grown up in Charleston in the Golden Years.”
Fred graduated from Charleston High School in 1949 and Clemson Agricultural College in 1954 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and an ROTC commission. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and was assigned to the 508th Army Airborne Regimental Combat Team stationed in Japan, serving as a Pathfinder Team Leader. In 1957 he was honorably discharged and returned home to join his father in the poultry business on Creekside Farm in Mount Pleasant.
In 1960, Fred married Patricia Ann Musso, affectionately known as “Pat.” Together they raised a family of four children, growing with sons and daughters-in-law, and of course, grandchildren. Fred and Pat celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary with family this past November.
In 1967, at age 36, Fred enrolled in the University of South Carolina School of Law. He graduated with a Juris Doctor degree in 1970 and began his second career as a lawyer in Charleston County.
His practice grew to include general and civil litigation and earned him a reputation as a passionate advocate for his clients. During these years, too, he partnered in the development of the Creekside Park subdivision — formerly the Creekside Farm. He also donated a parcel of the development to the Charleston Tennis Club, an asset to Mount Pleasant and Charleston families since.
In the late 1950s, Fred acting on his keen interest in politics, joined the nascent Republican Party in South Carolina. He ran for the State House of Representatives on the Republican ticket in 1966.
He served as the chairman of the Charleston Republican Party from 1968 to 1970, and on the State’s Board of Social Services from 1976 to 1979. In 1978, for his contributions to South Carolina, Gov. James B. Edwards awarded him the Order of the Palmetto.
In the 1950’s Fred and his family had joined the Mt. Pleasant Presbyterian Church, and for years Fred was deeply involved in his church’s life, serving as Sunday School teacher, Deacon and Ruling Elder.
But Pat, over the years, missed the churches of her youth and Fred eventually joined her and became a member of the congregation of the Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul in downtown Charleston. There, too, he became active in the service of his church, in the men’s fellowship within the church, on the Vestry, and later, as a Senior Warden.
Yet Fred is perhaps best known, along with Pat, as founder and long-time proprietor of the Shem Creek restaurant known as “the Wreck of the Richard and Charlene.”
In 1992 at age 61 he started his third career, opening a restaurant that became part of an ongoing community — of working shrimpers and businesses, employees, and of course, his family, friends and customers.
Fred worked at The Wreck until he lost his sight three years ago. Despite his uniquely irascible personality, Fred embodied a zest for life that was contagious. He had a knack for making the simplest occasions memorable events.
He was a lifelong student of history — continuous in his pursuit of new knowledge and education — and an ardent admirer of foods, cultures and adventures.
He had a passion for horseback riding, sailing, and (before self-grounding for family priorities) flying, and he encouraged his children and grandchildren to pursue their own.
His funeral service was held in the Mt. Pleasant Presbyterian Church on Saturday, Jan. 5. Burial followed at the graveside in Christ Church Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to the Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church, 302 Hibben Street, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 or the Cathedral Church of St.Luke and St. Paul, 126 Coming Street, Charleston, SC 29403, or to a charity of your choice.
