Mary Louise "Lou" Raley Scott

Mary Louise “Lou” Raley Scott returned to the loving arms of her beloved husband Scotty, and her savior Jesus Christ, on April 22, 2010. Lou was born the daughter of William M. and Mary Francis Byrd Raley on January 12, 1923 in the Angelus Community of Chesterfield County. She graduated from Angelus High School and attended Winthrop College. The state of South Carolina is far better off for “Lou” being born on that rural stretch of Chesterfield County. Described as a “Sermon in Shoe Leather” by a former pastor, Lou Scott dedicated her every waking moment to serving others. She began her mission as a school teacher in Blaney, S.C., worked in the Pentagon during World War II, and found her true calling upon moving to Hartsville, S.C. with her husband in 1949. Lou was an active member of First Baptist Church where she taught Sunday school and “training union.” She was a member and past president of the Pilot Club, den mother for the Cub Scouts, and active in Girl Scouts as well. She was a member of: Easter Seals, Human Rights Committee for Saleeby and Pee Dee Centers, United Way Board, S.C. Human Service Providers, Inc., Advisory Committee for Rural Assistance Program for SCDOT, Treatment Team for Darlington County, AGAPE Board, Pee Dee Providers Assoc., and the JSEC Committee for the SC Employment Security Commission just to name a few. Lou, or “Miss Lou” as many referred to her, was the recipient of numerous awards, such as: Hartsville’s First Lady of the Year, Citizen of the Year in Darlington County, Tribune’s Special Mother of the Year, Job Creator Award, Lou Scott Day by the city of Hartsville, Lena Fields Lifetime Achievement Award, and resolutions from Dept. of Disabilities and Special Needs, Darlington Co. Legislative Delegation, and the S.C. General Assembly. South Carolina Governor Carroll Campbell awarded her The Order of the Palmetto in 1994 upon her retirement from The Scott Center, which Lou began in 1967 as a church kindergarten program for the mentally disabled. Her fierce advocacy and tenacity as a fundraiser and unending community support grew the program from its initial budget of $2,700 dollars, serving 2 children, to a budget of $4.6 million, serving approximately 400 individuals, including group homes for adults and a worker program for her clients. Lou’s never-give-up spirit will shine brightly on the hearts and faces of numerous individuals she touched for many years to come. She is survived by her sister, Margaret R. Clark of Bishopville, SC; her son, Dr. Geoffrey I. Scott and daughter in law, Anne H. Scott of Rockville, SC; and three grandchildren whom she was deeply proud of Christopher J. Scott of Hartsville, Cecile Hart Scott of Newberry and Geoffrey I. Scott Jr. of Rockville. She was preceded in death by her husband, Ivan B. Scott; her daughter, Sondra L. Scott and an infant son, William Scott. The family will receive visitors on Saturday, April 24 from 3-5 PM at Brown-Pennington-Atkins Funeral Home in Hartsville, SC. Funeral Services will be held at 3 PM on Sunday April 25 at the First Baptist Church of Hartsville, with burial following at Magnolia Cemetery in Hartsville. Memorials may be made in lieu of flowers to the Lou Scott Memorial Fund at Scott Center, 201 Damascus Church Road, Hartsville, SC 29550. Funeral arrangements will be handled by Brown-Pennington-Atkins Funeral Home of Hartsville, SC.

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Mary Louise "Lou" Raley Scott

January 12, 1923 - April 22, 2010