William Fred Scott II

William Fred Scott II, 43, of Beaumont, died Wednesday, March 11, 2026. Will was born on May 26, 1982, in Nederland, Texas. He was the oldest son of Bill and Gay Scott of Nederland, Texas.

From the moment he came into the world, Will was larger than life and had a presence and energy that captivated all those around him. He was tenacious, unyielding, driven and determined. He loved life and lived it to the fullest. He was a visionary, a dreamer and a doer. He dreamed big dreams and moved mountains bringing them to life. He was protective, fearless and he loved fiercely. He was loyal and generous. He was a proud father who loved his children endlessly. He was a force, and he was a man of faith. He took command of every room he entered and was always the loudest voice and the brightest light. He never did anything halfway; he only knew how to go all in. His successes were monumental and he leaves behind a legacy that will be carried on for generations.

Will was raised in Nederland, Texas, by Bill and Gay with his two younger brothers, James and Richard Scott. The three Scott brothers grew up close, getting into many shenanigans together, keeping Bill and Gay on their toes. Will, James and Richard made endless memories with their cousins Brad and Dahrel Harris, which led to vivacious stories we all loved to hear. Will was a "mama's boy" from the start, and all who knew him knew he always kept Gay close. He was known for saying, "I gotta call Mama" when he had a problem to solve. Needless to say, young Will kept Gay in Adoration, but she would not have had it any other way. Gay and Bill cherish the memories of raising their spirted eldest son alongside his brothers.

Will graduated from Nederland High School in 2000 and went on to attend Southern Methodist University where he obtained a degree in Business Management and a minor in Art History. Will graduated from SMU in 2006. While at SMU, Will was an active member of Phi Gamma Delta (Fiji) Fraternity where he served as the pledge trainer alongside his brother James who served as treasurer. Will and James lived together in Dallas while attending SMU together and they had many stories to tell from that time. We won't tell them here, but most of us can recall some of the infamous stories from their college days together.

In 2005, Will met Lindsey at his brother James' birthday party where she asked a friend, "Who's the guy in the cowboy boots?" Lindsey fell in love with his larger-than-life personality and adventurous spirit. They married in 2009 and went on to have three children, Katherine, Isabel, and William Fred Scott III. Kate, Belle, and Liam were the light of Will's life. He loved taking them hunting, fishing, and doing all things outdoors with them.

At 23 years old, Will told Lindsey he was going to build an exotic animal commercial hunting ranch. At that time, the Scott family property in Mason, Texas, was nothing but 900 acres and a small cabin. His father Bill drew the ranch logo on a piece of notebook paper, and the Star S Ranch was born. The only species on the property back then were the native whitetail deer. Will poured himself into building the ranch, learning about exotic animals and deer breeding, reading books and going to auctions and shows and immersing himself in that world. Will spent time researching breeding tactics and processes in South Africa and applied these principles to build herds of bongo, sable, kudu, cape buffalo, gemsbok, dama gazelle, roan, nubian ibex, and other exotic species.

Will became a respected leader in the deer breeding and exotic animal industry. Alongside his family, Will worked tirelessly making his vision for Star S Ranch come to life. Will had a deep love for wildlife that embodied Star S Ranch where he and his family worked to conserve over 30 exotic species. The ranch brought Will immense joy. It was Will's dream and passion that Star S Ranch would prosper for generations. Today Star S Ranch spans over 15,000 acres, houses a world class hunting lodge, and is one of the premier exotic and whitetail breeding and hunting ranches in the United States. Star S Ranch has become a prominent hunting destination for many people around the world and is the profound legacy Will dreamed it would be.

Will loved spending time at Star S Ranch with his family, and he spent countless hours riding the ranch with his children teaching them about all the different animals and taking them hunting. The children loved their time at the ranch with their dad. In fact, one of Belle's first words was "Kudu," which was Will's favorite exotic species. On New Year's Eve 2015, his daughter Kate shot her first deer on the ranch at just four years old, which made Will so proud. Today there still stands a deer blind affectionately named, "Kate's blind."

Will and Lindsey chose to raise their children on the property he shared with his brother, James and his wife, Jamie, in Fannett, Texas, where there was plenty of room to run and roam and play outdoors. Will loved to surprise the children, and it became a running joke in the family that unexpected outlandish deliveries would randomly show up at the house. Lindsey became accustomed to surprise deliveries of 80-pound African turtles, large snakes, cows, chickens, hogs, and even Kangaroos and other exotic animals. Will's response to Lindsey's surprise was always the same, without fail he would smile his broad smile and say, "the kids are going to love it." And they did. There was never a dull moment. While Lindsey and Will divorced in 2023, Lindsey's love for Will always endured.

After graduating from SMU, Will went to work with his father Bill and brother James in the family business, Trans-Global Solutions (TGS). During these years, Will was devoted to the family business and took great pride in helping it thrive and grow. Will served as President of Operations managing all of the railroad, terminal, and locomotive operations. When Will made up his mind to do something his work ethic and determination were unparalleled. In 2011, Will first had the vision to acquire the property that would become TGS Cedar Port Industrial Park. While many did not think it would be possible to broker the deal, Will was undeterred. With the support and help of his father Bill, uncle Dick, brother James, and best friend and colleague Matt Fleming, he plunged forward, steadfast, refusing to stop until the dream was realized and the deal was done. After many attempts to acquire the industrial park they were finally successful in December 2014. Today, TGS Cedar Port is the largest rail and barge served industrial park in North America. Will's relentless passion and leadership to develop this project along with his family was truly incredible. Will was proud and grateful to his brother James and father Bill who helped take on the massive task of the day-to-day operations of Cedar Port Industrial Park, ensuring its long-term and continued success. While many would say that Will had natural instincts when it came to business, Will would quickly tell you that everything he knew about business he learned from his dad.

In 2014, Will was asked to join the Tejas Vaqueros as a Maverick and, following in the footsteps of his beloved Uncle Dick, later became a member. His brother James also later joined the Vaqueros and the memories Will made with his Uncle Dick, brother James, and all his vaquero brothers was something he cherished and talked about often. As one of his Vaquero brothers stated, "he rode with the spirit of the west and the heart of a true friend carrying the values of fellowship, generosity, and tradition wherever the trail led. His boots may rest, but his legacy will forever ride on."

Will was always seeking the next adventure, for example in 2010 he got his pilot's license and loved flying himself back and forth to the ranch. His sense of adventure also led to great achievements like hunting over 30 bull elephants, killing the Big Five before he was 30 years old, and world record antelopes like his 57 2/8" sable bull, and 48 4/8" Gemsbok, to name a few. Will had a deep love of hunting, travel, and adventure that took him to some of the most beautiful places in the world such as, Luangwa Valley, Zambia, the Ethiopian Highlands and Valleys, Kalahari in Southern Africa, Tanzania, Namibia, and the best place of all, the Okavango Delta, because that's where the big elephants are! Will spent many days under the African sun, a place he always called his second home, living stories told by legends about ivory and big game hunting. While Will's brother Richard was 12 years younger, Will loved taking Richard with him on hunting and fishing trips and the two brothers made many memories together in the great outdoors.

Will's passions extended beyond wildlife and business. Will had an unwavering desire to help others. When he learned of a friend or colleague in need, no matter the size, he would make sure the need was met. He was generous and insistent on helping others, refusing to take no for an answer. Will believed those who are blessed bear a great responsibility to help others. He lived by this principle and would often say, "you have to give it away to keep it."

In the last several years, Will spent his time doing what he loved, managing the ranch, working, and traveling the world with his children and his beloved girlfriend, Coti Matthews. One of Will's favorite things was taking Kate, Belle, Liam and Coti on phenomenal trips. Will loved taking them on Safari hunts in Africa, to beautiful beaches, and hunting and fishing all over the world. Will's son Liam shot his first exotic animal, a blesbok, on one of these trips to Africa at just five years old. It was important to Will to instill a great love of hunting and fishing in his children and share those experiences and adventures with them. It gave Will great pride to watch and teach all three of his children to ride horses, hunt whitetail and exotic animals, and fish offshore. They will miss doing these activities with their dad immensely.

During the last years of Will's life, his girlfriend Coti was a devoted and loving companion, and the two had many adventures together. During these trips Will was known for telling jokes and stories and having conversations with the same animated passion in which he lived his life, and he lived life large.

Will has been described as a "Mountain of a man who lived a remarkable life." Will was a beloved father, son, and uncle. He was a believer, and a son of God. He will be laid to rest on Monument Mountain at Star S Ranch, which he always wanted to be his final resting place. It feels impossible that he is gone from his earthly home. But our family finds comfort in knowing he has found peace in the arms of his Savior.

Will is survived by his parents, Gay and Bill Scott; his ex-wife, Lindsey Scott and their three children, Katherine, Isabel and William F. Scott III (Liam); his brother, James Scott and wife, Jamie Scott and their two daughters, Audrey and Olivia Scott; his youngest brother, Richard Scott; his girlfriend, Coti Matthews, her daughter, Macy and her son, Hayden; his uncle, Dick Scott and wife, Dodie; aunt and uncle, Gina and Rusty Harris; cousins, Brad and Dahrel Harris; aunt and uncle, Jan and Larry DuBose; aunt and uncle, Anne and Doug Miller and their daughter, Jennifer; aunt and uncle, Tiffany and Joe Duckworth; and many other extended family and cousins.

A gathering of Will's family and friends will be from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., Thursday, March 19, 2026, at Broussard's, 1605 North Major Drive, Beaumont. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m., Friday, March 20, 2026, at St. Anne Catholic Church, 2715 Calder Avenue, Beaumont. A family committal will be held on Monument Mountain at Star S Ranch Cemetery, Mason County.