Carl E. Scott

Carl E. Scott, lovingly known as "Cappy," spent his last day with all of his family members before slipping away peacefully early in the morning on March 3, 2025, leaving behind a legacy as vast and vibrant as the outdoors he adored. His life was a grand adventure, shaped hand-in-hand with his beloved wife, Astrid, whom he married and cherished for 63 incredible years until her passing in 2017. Together, they built a life of love and purpose, with Astrid’s steady presence helping Carl become the remarkable man he was—a devoted husband, father, and outdoorsman whose spirit touched everyone around him.

Cappy’s love for nature started early in life. As a young man, he used to roam in the woods with his friends behind the home that his father built in Quinsigamond Village. Later, he joined the Boy Scouts and as one of their Scout Leaders he guided other boys through the woods and fields that he loved. Later, he served proudly in the United States Coast Guard.

In 1953, he married the love of his life, Astrid Nelson, whom he met at Emanuel Lutheran Church. She became his best friend and partner on many of his adventures. She shared his love of nature and encouraged him to start photographing wildlife. Carl and his neighbor Jack Swedberg started Wildlife Movies, a two man company that specialized in photographing animals only in their wild state. They went on to make many high quality wildlife movies capturing the wild beauty of the Quabbin Reservoir. They even sold some of their 16mm footage to National Geographic. Carl was an active member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America and contributed photography and words to many books and articles.

Carl attended Clark University before he teamed up with his father in a carpentry business, crafting homes and memories with the same care he and Astrid put into raising their family—daughter Robin, son Ron, and a growing brood of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Home was wherever Carl and Astrid were together—whether their primary residence in Millbury or their Cape Cod haven, where they’d fish off their boat, the Lutfisk which they kept in Wellfleet, often with grandkids Joe, John, Samantha, and Jessica in tow, laughing as they reeled in the day’s catch. A true sportsman, Carl was a fixture at the Dennys River Salmon Club, the Boylston Skeet Club, and Singletary Rod and Gun Club, where he’d swap stories with Ron and teach the grandkids the art of a steady aim. Carl and Astrid roamed North America’s wild places, from rugged mountains to quiet rivers, their adventures a family affair that Robin and Ron grew up cherishing. Astrid was always there, even when he went fishing in New Brunswick, Canada where they bought a salmon camp and spent many hours enjoying the view from the screen porch overlooking the river. Even at 80, Carl took to the skies, earning his Private Pilot Certificate with Astrid’s memory cheering him on, a feat as bold as his #5 ranking at IDS—a quiet badge of honor his family still beams about.

Carl is survived by his son Ron Scott, his daughter Robin Mazzone and her husband Fran, his grandchildren Joe Mazzone, John Mazzone and his wife Amy, Samantha Fleming and her husband Dan, Jessica Parrella and her husband Matt, and five great-grandchildren. His spirit, boundless and warm, lives on in them. The family will gather for a private graveside funeral to lay Cappy to rest beside Astrid, honoring them both in the quiet way they’d have loved. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations to the VNA, whose care and support provided great comfort in his final days.

All services for Carl were held privately.