Sen. John Scott remembered as a person ‘small in stature, but he was big in heart’

State Sen. John Scott may have been small in physical stature, but he stood tall in his years of public service.

A crowd of about 1,800 people Saturday celebrated the lawmaker, who served in the State House since 1990, at his funeral at Bible Way of Atlas Road. He was 69 when he died Sunday at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston from undisclosed causes.

After serving on the Richland County Council, Scott was elected to the State House. He served nine terms as a state representative before being elected to the state Senate in 2008 for the first of four terms representing the 19th Senate District, which covers northwest Richland County.

“They say he was small in stature, but he was big in heart, (with) broad vision (and) limitless ideas” said state Sen. Gerald Malloy, D-Darlington. “And today some would say a man who was small in stature stands as a monument before all of us.”

Among the speakers to pay tribute was Richland County Legislative Delegation Chairman Leon Howard, Senate President Thomas Alexander, Richland County Councilwoman Gretchen Barron and Marguerite Willis, who ran for governor in 2018.

Scott was Willis’ lieutenant governor running mate in the race. Willis lost in the primary.

Willis said Scott did not like the current rancor that defines today’s politics.

“He would say to me, ‘Keep your eyes ahead. Keep your eyes on what we need to do and don’t look back, because if you look back in hatred and fear, you will freeze,” Willis said. “We have too much work to do for the people in this state to look back.”

Scott advocated for historically Black colleges and universities, expanding broadband to rural areas, workforce development and health care.

“It was all about including individuals to make sure they had the opportunities for them to have a better life,” Alexander said in tribute to Scott’s service.

Despite years of opposition, in 2002 lawmakers adopted legislation to enact the Education Lottery to provide college scholarships in the state.

But it wouldn’t have happened if not for Scott finding the right opportunity to get legislation passed.

“There would be no lottery in the state of South Carolina if it were not for John L. Scott,” said former state Rep. Jerry Govan, D-Orangeburg.

Scott most recently served on the state Senate’s Banking and Insurance; Education; Finance; Labor, Commerce and Industry; Legislative Oversight; and Medical Affairs committees.

Scott, an S.C. State University graduate, also commanded the Joint Services Detachment from Feb. 18, 2017, to Jan. 19, 2019, according to the South Carolina Military Department. Before the funeral, Scott’s casket was flanked by military personnel in dress uniforms.

Gov. Henry McMaster, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott, former Gov. Jim Hodges, South Carolina Democratic Party Chairwoman Christale Spain, lobbyists and members of the General Assembly, including almost the entire state Senate, were in attendance.

The Rev. Michael Ross, the pastor at New Ebenezer Baptist Church where Scott served as a deacon, called the state senator reliable, resourceful and remarkable. He recounted stories of how Scott served the church and his Senate district constituents. Scott helped find land for the church to move to, and was generous to those around him, even helping others financially.

“Being a servant I believe was in his DNA,” Ross said. “He would go the extra mile at his own expense. A sacrifice for John was never a sacrifice. It was a service rendered with humility and honor.”