Garrett Russell Scott

Garrett Russell Scott, Paraglider, Sailor, and World Traveler, age 43, was released from his earthly pain on May 23, 2023, after a three year fight for a cure from rare bone cancer. "You're flying higher than you've ever flown before - and this time you won't have to come back down" - Kenneth Decker (Garrett's Grandpa). Surviving to cherish the memories are: his parents, Russell and Beckie Scott, Grandfather, Kenneth Decker all of Ludington, MI (formerly of DeWitt), sister, Tracy Jo (Gabe ) Devereaux, nieces and nephews: Macey, Brody, Max, Piper and Willow Devereaux of Grand Ledge, aunts and uncles, Kevin (Montana) Decker of Pickford, Rich (Amy) Decker of Scottville, Ned (Cindy) Devereaux of Rives Junction, Kelly McCausey of St. Johns, and Alexa Parling of DeWitt.

Garrett had many friends in Hawaii and Europe- both in the paragliding and sailing communities. They deserve mention here, having been like family to him. Daniel and Michelle, Dave and Josephina, Denise, Dara, Todd, Lee, Reaper, Dr. Eric, Abhay, Travis, Brad, Dr. Tumble, Noni, Kim ... many others! In his darkest hours and weakest moments - you were shining lights and gave him the strength to hold on. Thank you! He wanted us all to focus on the love we shared - not the loss we bear.

Garrett was born in Lansing, Michigan, on December 11, 1979, and grew up an active and happy kid. He graduated from St. Johns High School and Lansing Community College in 1998 via dual enrollment for HVAC Certification. He worked at Applegate Heating and Cooling and decided he didn't want to spend his life crawling around in people's basements. Garrett was never afraid to change course and do the unexpected!

He won a set of WaveRunners from a gas station promotion, opted for the cash and headed out West... not in a vehicle, but on a 10-speed bicycle! He slept in a pup tent along the way and made it to Sun Valley, Idaho. He primitive camped in the woods until he got a job at a large ski resort. He was able to live in the dorm and easily made friends with people from other countries. While in Idaho, he discovered the sport of paragliding and it became a lifelong passion. Garrett was a member of the United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (USHPA) for 20 years and was a level 4 Pilot and Certified in Tandem Paragliding.

He traveled to Slovakia and Turkey to see his friends and decided to move to Hawaii and pursue paragliding. He came home for Thanksgiving and announced he was leaving Idaho and wanted to be in Hawaii by his birthday, just two weeks later. He returned to Idaho, sold his truck, sublet his condo, quit his job and bought a one-way ticket. He called home from a beach on Maui - the night of his birthday! He had no job yet and no place to stay. He slept on the beach until he could find a job and rent a room in a shared house. Garrett had many talents and worked only enough to survive. He always did what made him happy!

Eventually, he bought a small sailboat and then a live-aboard, which was cheaper than renting a room. He named her the "Mary Jane" and for nine years, she was his home base. He flew a "Jolly Roger" flag and these were his years living the "pirate life" on a mooring. He continued paragliding until he had an accident in 2006 that left him with a broken back, two titanium rods, and a partial spinal cord injury. Two years later... He was back in the sky!

In the summers, he traveled to paragliding camps in Turkey and Austria (Camp Candy) and decided he wanted to train to do acrobatic paragliding. He returned to Michigan and tried long-haul trucking. He worked long enough to earn the money to support his adventures. The long hours on the road became painful on his tailbone, that he thought he bruised while sliding down a slide playing with his nieces.

Garrett always had his head in the sky or toes in the ocean...so his next move was to the Virgin Islands to earn his Captain's License. He planned to buy a bigger sailboat and do party charters. He could be paid to have fun with people! He was invited to spend the Christmas Holiday with a group of vacationers that had a giant inflated unicorn. It was pulled behind a boat and held several people. He sent video of him in it and vowed to get one for his charter business! However, the pain in his tailbone was worsening and he flew back to Hawaii. The doctors said it was fractured. Then the 2020 Pandemic hit and Garrett's tailbone pain was not healing and became unbearable. He had just found the sailboat of his dreams: A Tayana 37 named "ki'ihele" (Wandering the ocean). He bought her and before he could sail her back to Maui, he found that the pain in his tailbone was a rare Chordoma cancer. The doctors said there was no cure and he had only months to live.

He returned to Michigan and tried every experimental cancer fighter he could find. He learned of Carbon Ion Treatment - available at MedAustron Clinic in Vienna, Austria. With the support of family and friends, Garrett underwent a series of radiation treatments to destroy the tumor. He also did long term fasting to shrink it. At his one year follow-up, they were amazed at how well he was doing. The tumor was decreasing in size! He returned to Hawaii and insisted his parents come stay with him. They worked on his sailboat and Garrett eventually bought that giant unicorn! A month later, he found out his cancer had metastasized to his lungs and liver. He lived and loved for 2 more years. Garrett never gave up hope!

To paraphrase a Native American Proverb: We come into this world crying and everyone around us is smiling. Live your life in such a way that at the end - you are smiling and everyone else is crying. There will be crying - but not for long! His name will be spoken often and with a smile or even laughter! Garrett gave us a lot to laugh about! He will be remembered as the sweet, adventurous, funny, crazy guy that dreamed higher than the sky and loved deeper than the ocean. He lived a good life, but he wasn't done living, dreaming, or loving.

The Top 5 Hospice Regrets were shared with Garrett:

1) Wishing I had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

2) I wish I hadn't worked so hard.

3) I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.

4) I wish I'd stayed in touch with my friends.

5) I wish I had let myself be happier.

Upon review, he stated "I have few regrets - except the pain I'll leave behind." In lieu of services, we can honor him by living our life in such a way that we also leave this world with few regrets.

A special thanks to MedAustron Clinic (Austria), Born Clinic (Grand Rapids, MI), Harbor Hospice and Palliative Care (Muskegon, MI) and also to Garrett's sister Tracy Jo, for making his final days better by lending strength and humor.