David's Obituary
David Thomas Scotson of Great Falls, Montana passed away at the age of 82 on January 7, 2023, after struggling increasingly with dementia in the years since Pat, his wife of 55 years, left us in 2018.
Dave was born on July 15, 1940, in Great Falls, Montana to Harold and Geneva (Evans) Scotson. Dave spent most of his life in Great Falls except for a brief time while he was in the United States Navy, where he was stationed at Moffett Federal Airfield in California. He attended Great Falls Public Schools, graduating from Great Falls High School in 1958. He spent two years in the U.S. Navy before returning to Great Falls. In 1961, he met the love of his life, Patty Ann Messman; they were married on April 18, 1963. They were married for 55 years.
The two made their home in Great Falls. They started their family in 1965 when Katie was born, and added to it in 1967 with Susan, and again in 1970 with Jennifer. An ideal home was made even better with cousins and friends always around and enriched by many foster children. Dave and Pat had the belief that there was no sense having empty beds and opened their doors to anyone in need including Amos (Robert Burke), Anh (Lisa Do) and Nga (Renee Du), Terri J. (Neuwerth), and Ray (Keller). Later on, son, Rob, came into the family, and was officially adopted on August 3, 1994.
Early on, Dave worked briefly for an office equipment company and then joined what would later become known as Credit Associates, first in sales and then as a co-owner and general manager until his retirement in 2016.Throughout the years, Dave served in various capacities for the High Noon Optimist Club, Consumer Credit Counseling Service, and First English Lutheran Church. He was also very involved in the planning of all his class reunions for the Great Falls High School Class of 1958.
Dave especially loved remembering his time spent building the family cabin near White Sulphur Springs as a boy, and later spending so much time there where he enjoyed fishing, long walks in the woods, and hauling kids up the sledding hill on his snowmobile. From an early age, he was an avid golfer and was a member of the Meadowlark Country Club for many years.
Dave was an extraordinary dad and an unbelievably loyal and attentive husband. To him, the sun really did rise and set on his family. He will be remembered as an incredibly kind-hearted and generous man who always put others first and who was an enthusiastic and charismatic storyteller.
Dave was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Patricia Scotson; his brothers, Bill and Dick Scotson; and his parents, Harold and Geneva Scotson. He will be deeply missed by his surviving children, Rob (Susan) Scotson, Kate (Rob) McCarthy, Susan (Jim Finlayson) Quinn, Jennifer (Shawn) Hazelton; his former son-in-law, John Quinn, and former daughter-in-law, Amy Scotson; grandchildren, Savanna (Brandon) Jackson and Parker (Shannon) Scotson, Michael, Gillespie, and Grace McCarthy, McKenna and Josey Quinn, and Kiran Hazelton; and his great-grandchild, Walker Jackson.
The family would like to thank the amazing staff at Grandview for their patience and kind care of our father. We would also like to thank Dr. Stacy Kingsland and all his caretakers at Grandview Reflections for their professionalism and compassion in caring for our father.
A memorial service will be held in July of 2023 when the entire family can be together in Montana. Information about the service will be posted on the Schnider Funeral Home website at the beginning of July.
If you would like to do something to honor Dave, do something generous like he would do. Call a school in your area and pay off a student’s past due lunch balance!
