Robert Scott Creely

Robert Scott Creely of Santa Cruz died on February 7, 2011 at the age of 84. Scott was born in 1926 in Kentfield, Marin County, the son of Edward Ignatius Creely and Margaret Miller Creely.

Scott grew up in the Sunset District of San Francisco and as a young child watched the Golden Gate Bridge being built. He and a friend were nearly swept out to sea on a makeshift raft as they floated under the newly opened bridge and were caught in the current. Another boyhood adventure, launching a glider from the top of a sand dune, also ended in near-disaster. Scott's Irish ancestry was a decided advantage when he won a prize at the 1939 World's Fair in San Francisco for having the most freckles.

At the age of 17, Scott joined the US Navy and served from July 1944 until May 1946. In the Navy he was an Aviation Cadet, stationed in Illinois. As he told it, he knew his flying career wasn't likely to take off when he clipped a commanding officer's plane -- luckily both planes were still on the ground. His pilot days were cut short by the war's end, but flying continued as a daydream, perhaps best embodied by Scott's humorous identification with Snoopy in his imaginary battles versus the Red Baron. Scott would laughingly shake a fist, saying "Curse you, Red Baron!"

A lifelong rockhound, Scott attended the University of California, Berkeley for both undergraduate and graduate studies in geology, earning a Ph.D. in 1955. He started his career as a petroleum geologist, working for Ross Cabeen Associates in the oilfields of Colorado, Wyoming, and Alberta. In 1960, he began doing what he loved best: sharing the wonders of geology through teaching and research. Scott taught at Colorado State University in Fort Collins from 1960 to 1968, returning to California in 1968 where he taught at San Jose State University until his retirement in 1991. Everywhere that he worked, Scott formed lifelong and treasured friendships.

While still a student, Scott met the love of his life, a beautiful young nurse named Dorothy Wire. They celebrated their love for each other with a wedding in Upland, California in 1952 and honored that love with their lifelong commitment to each other.

Scott and Dorothy had four children, Ann, Kathryn, Andrew and Lorena. Scott's children remember him as a dear and playful father who encouraged them to be kind to animals, to appreciate nature, to express themselves through art, and to get an education. They also remember his fantastic sense of humor, the many hikes and geological fieldtrips he led them on in the Rocky Mountains and along the Pacific shoreline, and most of all, his love and patience.

Scott's "furry children" were the stray cats he adopted over the years, including Tarzan, Fat Tony aka Butterball, Creepstreak, Sal, Lola, and Binky. He was a true animal lover, who showed great tenderness in his care of the family pets and even the visiting raccoons, skunks, and birds in his Santa Cruz backyard.

In the last few years of his life, Scott struggled with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. The family is very grateful to the many doctors, respiratory therapists, and nurses who cared for him. Scott died very peacefully at Dominican Hospital, surrounded by his family. They are sad to see him go but have the bittersweet knowledge that his long suffering is now over and his eternal life begun. Scott courageously welcomed death as the beginning of a new adventure, well expressed in the lyrics of one of his favorite songs,

"On the road again

Goin' places that I've never been

Seein' things that I may never see again

And I can't wait to get on the road again"

Scott is survived by Dorothy, his loving and supportive wife of 58 years. His is also survived by his children and their partners, Ann Creely [Brigitte Parot], Kathryn Creely [Peter Brueggeman], Andrew Creely [Julie Shattuck], and Lorena Creely [John Vetterling]. His treasured grandchildren include Kayla Robinson [Michael], Alison Dunford, Leo Brueggeman, and Dion Shattuck-Baker. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Scott's parents and his half-brother, William Raser, predeceased him.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, February 12. Visitation will be from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm at Pacific Gardens Chapel, 1050 Cayuga Street, Santa Cruz. Burial will take place at 2 pm in Oakwood Memorial Park at 3301 Paul Sweet Road, Santa Cruz, followed by a memorial service and reception in the Oakwood Chapel. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Santa Cruz SPCA or another charity.