John Lawrence Scott

John Lawrence "Skip" Scott, of Peterborough, NH, died peacefully in his home, surrounded by family, on April 14, 2004. The cause of death was congestive heart failure. Born in Portsmouth, NH on May 24, 1930, Skip was the son of Winfield William and Martha Woodward Scott. He married Phyllis Sanderson in 1952 and together they raised three children. At an early age, Skip was interested in broadcasting and at the age of thirteen, he launched his own radio program, "Accent on Youth" from WHEB in Portsmouth. He graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1948, and attended the University of New Hampshire. He joined the U.S Air Force, and was assigned to Sampson Air Force base in Geneva, NY, as an airman and later as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Office of Public Information. At the completion of his service, he was offered a position with WHEN, the Syracuse, NY CBS affiliate, as on-air talent for the television station and program director for the radio station. Children of the late 1950's and early 1960's knew him first as "Uncle Skip" of the kids' television show "Cartoon Clubhouse", and later as "Colonel Skip" of the space-themed "Jet Set". In addition to his children's programming, his radio and television career also produced some important firsts in the broadcasting industry. It was under his leadership that the first "traffic copter reports" were delivered from the air in Syracuse, providing a new view of traffic for commuters. He was also the creator of "The Music is the Message", a talk radio program which brought together religious leaders and local scholars to explore the meaning of contemporary music of the 1960's. He also collaborated with the Syracuse public radio station to create an on-air fundraising effort for the Syracuse Symphony. This initial effort blossomed into a series of symphony marathons which have raised millions of dollars for symphonies across the country. In 1972, Skip and his wife moved to Peterborough to take the reigns of WSCV-AM radio. Skip was a familiar voice on the airwaves of the Contoocook Valley for several years, both on WSCV, and later on WSLE-FM, a new station which Skip and Phyllis launched together. Skip was a mentor to many budding broadcasters, returning the gift which he received as a teen in Portsmouth. In 1976, Skip was hired to direct the Public Relations efforts of Yankee Magazine, a job which gave him the opportunity to showcase the New England he loved. As part of his role with Yankee, he became an on-air personality known as the "Yankee Traveler", and treated WBZ television viewers to many New England cultural highlights and points of interest. Among his proudest efforts with Yankee was the performance of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in Peterborough for Yankee's 50th anniversary celebration. In all, Skip's broadcasting career spanned more than 55 years. His work with WBZ later evolved to include substituting for many well-known radio personalities, including Dave Maynard and Neil Chayette. In his later career, he was a consultant and freelance talent for radio stations all over the Northeast in a series which continued his "Yankee Traveler" exploration of New England. He loved the Boston Red Sox, golf, fishing, and tinkering in his workshop. His legacy is an extended family which shares those joys with him. A member of the Union Congregational Church of Peterborough, NH, Skip is survived by Phyllis, his wife of 51 years, a daughter Laurie Scott, of Durham, NC; a son Steven Scott, and his wife Karin, of Portsmouth; and a daughter, Elaine Haber and her husband Steve, of San Diego, California. He was especially proud of his six grandchildren, John and Lucas Scott-Martin, Devin and Taylor Scott, and Samuel and Justin Haber. A memorial service will be held at Union Congregational Church in Peterborough NH, on Sunday April 18 at 2pm. The Reverend Polly Shamy will officiate; the Monadnock Chorus and soloist Pamela Stevens will perform. In lieu of flowers, the family gratefully requests that memorial contributions be made to Monadnock Community Hospital, Old Street Road, Peterborough, NH 03458, or the community hospice program of your choice.