Randall Scott Nelson Reed

Randall Scott "Scott" Nelson Reed, 87, a native of Clearwater, Florida, peacefully passed away surrounded by family on October 3, 2025, at Emory Johns Creek Hospital. Born in Celina, Ohio, on August 22, 1938, to Madonna Mae (Forwerck) and William Irvin Nelson, Scott spent most of his childhood in Clearwater, Florida, where he had fond memories of playing in his family's orange grove. Scott graduated from Purdue University in 1960 with a degree in international relations, and was a lifelong supporter of Purdue basketball and football. He then joined the U.S. Navy, where he trained as a pilot and served in Italy, flying missions over North Africa. Returning to the United States, he was stationed in Brunswick, Maine, where he met his wife Judy, to whom he was married for almost sixty years.
In 1967, Scott left the Navy and joined Pan American World Airways as First Officer, moving to the San Francisco Bay Area with his family. He worked for Pan Am for over twenty years, piloting international flights to countries across Europe, Africa, Asia, South America, and Oceania. Later in life, he would fascinate his grandchildren with stories of his adventures during his years as a pilot. In 1977, the family returned to Clearwater, where daughter Leslie was born in 1980.
After Pan Am ceased operations in 1991, Scott decided to retire, but he did not remain idle. He focused on managing a motel on Clearwater Beach, which the family purchased in 1977 and would keep for twenty-three years. Scott highly valued learning and supported his children and grandchildren in their pursuit of higher education.
In 2003, Scott and Judy made the decision to relocate to Peachtree Corners, Georgia, to be closer to their grandchildren, although they maintained a condo in Dunedin, Florida, where the family has many happy memories. In Georgia, Scott delighted in his grandchildren's activities, attending dozens of tennis matches, baseball games, band concerts, and piano recitals. After grandchildren Alexis and Allison were born, Scott and Judy took frequent road trips to visit them in Colorado, where they would attend the girls' swim meets.
Scott was deeply passionate about the environment. He was one of the first in the neighborhood to purchase a hybrid car, a red Toyota Prius that he meticulously maintained and drove for more than fifteen years. Every year, he tried to convince his wife that, yes, they could drive from Georgia to Maine in the Prius (she vehemently disagreed). He always reminded his grandchildren to turn out the lights when they left the room and would occasionally accidentally turn off the lights when his grandchildren were still in the room. He never let a piece of paper go to waste if there was a blank side, and it was a great source of amusement to family when they would go to print a document and discover that the reverse side contained a thirty-year-old Pan Am manifest.
A lifelong Democrat, Scott deeply valued debate and dialogue, and he could talk for hours with anyone about anything, although his favorite topic was often politics. He devoured books about current affairs and the environment, and he loved to discuss his takeaways with family members over dinners and drinks (his favorite were gin and tonics). As a result of his influence, several of his grandchildren have developed a love for the same nonfiction books he used to read. A quick wit, he would often surprise and delight family members with his observations, even in the final days of his life.
Scott is preceded in death by mother Madonna Forwerck, father William Nelson, stepfather John Reed, stepdaughter Jolene (David) Liechty, son David Nelson Reed, brothers William Irvin Nelson II and Roger Allan Nelson, and sister Donna (Dennis) Reed Myers. He is survived by wife Judy, daughters Jennifer (Eric) Craig and Leslie (Jeremy) Myrtle, step grandchildren Bryant and Jonathan, and grandchildren Megan, Everett, Peter, Alexis, and Allison. A loving husband, father, and grandfather, Scott will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
Please join us in celebrating Scott's life from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm on Friday, October 17, 2025, at Crowell Brothers Funeral Homes & Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the WK Preservation Group (https://wkpreserve.com/make-a-donation/), Peace Memorial Presbyterian Church (https://onrealm.org/PeaceMemorialFL/-/form/give/now), or theNPR Network (https://www.npr.org/donations/support).
Online condolences may be expressed at www.crowellbrothers.com. Arrangements by Crowell Brothers Peachtree Chapel Funeral Home, 5051 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, Norcross/Peachtree Corners, GA 30092. (770)448-5757.