Barbara Markoe Scott

Barbara Markoe Scott, Born 10 February 1932, Went to Heaven 19 October 2025

She wore her Old Philadelphia History lightly on her sleeve. Both grandfathers had been Doctors, University of Pennsylvania, Medical Class of 1889, where they commissioned a certain young artist to portray Dr. D. H. Agnew performing surgery in front of his students, the leader of whom, Dr. J. Allison Scott, insisted upon being shown sleeping in class. The Agnew Clinic is the largest painting Thomas Eakins ever made and, though still owned by the University, can be seen at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Her great uncle was a United States Senator who founded a Law Firm which still bears his name. Her father, Ernest Scott, succeeded him as its Managing Partner. He also served as Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar and Trustee of the University of Pennsylvania. His portrait hangs in the University’s Law School.

Growing up, Barbara and her ever so slightly older twin sister, Annis Lee (called the “TWINS” by their mother but “A” and “B” by everyone else), would load their two other sisters, Cintra and Diana, onto the family pony cart and drive them to school at Agnes Irwin. Upon return, they all tried to get their “little brother” David (he grew to 6 feet 4) to muck the stall.

Barbara was not a Doctor or a Lawyer. She was an Athlete, quite a good one, and played field hockey, basketball, lacrosse and tennis at the University of Pennsylvania. She rode and showed horses all her life, winning Blues at Devon, Harrisburg, Washington, D.C., and the Hampton Classic. She almost won at the Garden.

While at University, she met James W. Lillie. They married and had four children: Lydia S. Hall (David), Christopher W. Lillie (Patricia), James W. Lillie III (Maureen McCaffrey) and Derek S. Lillie (Lisa). In time, they would bring her so many grand and great grandchildren that she couldn’t remember their names.

After moving to Princeton, New Jersey, Barbara enrolled her daughter in a newly-opened school, Stuart County Day. There, in face-offs during a Mother-Daughter Field Hockey match, where only one other mother knew how to play, she pulled an “Illegal Bully” three times and scored before any of the daughters had even touched the ball. The next day, the Head of School called and offered her a coaching job.

Barbara also was the School’s first Basketball Coach. Since it didn’t yet have a gymnasium, she would take the girls outside and teach them dribbling and passing in the parking lot. Clearing the ice and snow made great warm up exercises

And, yes, she was the School’s first Lacrosse Coach.

Her Field Hockey and Lacrosse teams did well, winning and losing any number of Championships. However, because the rules of women’s Basketball were changing, she struggled. Along came a Princeton University freshman, Thomas H. Tarantino, who served as her Assistant Coach. And when he graduated, he told her “I hope I can find someone just like you.” Thirteen years later, he did.

So Barbara began a second life, managing a real-estate office and counting house, where her words were soft but her decisions firm. This was followed by twenty-five years of travel, reflection and, finally, a book, Looking For Legends.

She is survived by her Assistant Coach, who became her best friend, husband, partner, co-author and fellow traveler.

Did they have a song? Absolutely. And a favorite verse:

“Sail on Silver Girl

Sail on by

Your time has come to shine

Your dreams are on their way”

A private family service will be held. No flowers, please.