Search by Name

Search by Name

BORN

1950

DIED

2017

Scott Bertram Obituary

Scott Bertram

September 21, 1950 ~ July 28, 2017

Efland

Scott Bertram lived courageously, with dignity and decidedly on his own terms. He died at sunrise on his favorite day of the week with a smile on his face four years after a terminal cancer diagnosis. He laid next to his one true love, my mother. He died without regrets for he lived each day as his last, always finding wonder in the world around him, creating beauty everywhere he went, and inspiring all those he encountered to live more fully and love more deeply.

My father grew up on a farm in Hendersonville N.C., raised by his mother, Kate Bertram, with his siblings Gretchen, Kim, and Charlotte. There he learned the art of bread baking, of canning raspberry jam and apple sauce, of gardening, and of generosity. From a young age, Kate instilled in him a love of trees and plants, and of creatures great and small.

He survived six years at Christ School in Asheville where he masterminded pranks of great measure that the school credited to "the known Bertram ring." He then headed down to Chapel Hill to attend the University of North Carolina. After graduation, he went off the grid and bought a track of undeveloped land in an environmental land group known as the E.L.G.

In E.L.G., he built Efland's first Art Park - a collection of eccentric studios and cabins made entirely from recycled materials. He created trail systems through the woods, connecting different parts of the neighborhood that would one day lead him to my mom, Audrey Townsend. He knew from the first moment he met her that she was the one.

Thirty years ago they married in the mountains under a double rainbow. He moved into her Baer Hill Road cabin, where they created a ten-acre patch of heaven, cultivating a physical representation of their love with a huge garden, salt water swimming pool, rope swings, and ponds with fountains that sound like mountain streams. The next year my parents opened Townsend Bertram & Company, Adventure Outfitters, which would become an integral part of the community. My dad found his true calling in 1991 when I was born, followed soon after by my sister, Ella, in 1994.

He was one of the first, and by far the most fun, stay-at-home dads. Tree house building, rope swinging, bread baking, fairy home creating, pond swimming, and wild dancing were just a few of the incredible activities he would plan daily. He and my mom took us on many adventures to islands around the globe, chasing the wind kitesurfing.

He also taught us how to be a good friend, neighbor, and community member. We often abandoned projects to help friends in need of tractor work, fence building, and woodworking. He showed us how to home bake loaves of bread for new neighbors, which we delivered on our mountain bikes. He created Carrboro's twinkling constellation each November when he put over a mile of lights on the ancient Post Oak tree in front of Townsend Bertram & Company. He picked up trash wherever he went, and he was famous for doing everything "like a fireball." He taught all his nieces and nephews to love the beach and read the waves, and he would always have a parade of other people's kids following him around the beach by the end of the week.

He was a man who traveled the world, built arbors and ponds, helped people make their gardens beautiful, saved three people from drowning, fed hundreds his incredible Scott B bread, hand-wrote thousands of letters to people he loved, and raised two courageous and daring daughters with his beloved wife. He always had canine companions who he spoiled with delectable leftovers and took on twice daily walks to the neighborhood pond. He is buried on the land he loved, under a Triple Birch next to his treasured dogs Homer, June and Brownie.

At the end of his life, he inscribed a book to a friend in his beautiful cursive lettering. He wrote "look for me in the smooth bark of the Beech tree and in the springtime wild flowers." Though Scott has returned to the earth in the rough-hewn coffin he built himself, he remains ever so alive in the trees and wind and sweet bird songs.

Please join us under the trees on August 27th at 10:00 AM at the Inn at Bingham School to celebrate Scott B. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Learning Outside, a local outdoor learning non-profit that provides children with outdoor learning and exploring. Select the Scott B Scholarship fund when you make your donation. Every dollar will go towards a scholarship in Scott's honor for underprivileged children to attend Learning Outside. If you have a Scott B memory to share, please post it in the comments section on the "As Father's Go" blog post on the Townsend Bertram & Company Glass Top Counter blog.

- by Betsy Bertram

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by The Chapel Hill News on Aug. 16, 2017.

Memories and Condolences
for Scott Bertram

Not sure what to say?





2 Entries

Lee Southerland

August 24, 2017

This is the most beautiful obituary and it's so appropriate for this special man. His beautiful smile and twinkling eyes were unforgettable.
My heart goes out to all the family. Betsy, you said it all...the love of nature, the love of family, the hard charging businessman, the great sense of humor and the kindness to others.
Scott was something else. I think of him as the dancing man and it puts a smile on my face to think of his love of a good party! He would put Audrey on his arm and smile all night...never stopped moving.
Rest in peace, my friend. Love and peace, Lee Southerland

Carol Baugh Webster

August 22, 2017

What a lovely lovely tribute to an amazing man. I would like to have known him personally. Reading this beautiful account of his life has been a gift. From a fellow Sweet Briar alum.

Showing 1 - 2 of 2 results

Make a Donation
in Scott Bertram's name

Memorial Events
for Scott Bertram

To offer your sympathy during this difficult time, you can now have memorial trees planted in a National Forest in memory of your loved one.

How to support Scott's loved ones
Honor a beloved veteran with a special tribute of ‘Taps’ at the National WWI Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The nightly ceremony in Washington, D.C. will be dedicated in honor of your loved one on the day of your choosing.

Read more
Attending a Funeral: What to Know

You have funeral questions, we have answers.

Read more
Should I Send Sympathy Flowers?

What kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative?

Read more
What Should I Write in a Sympathy Card?

We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time.

Read more
Resources to help you cope with loss
How to Cope With Grief

Information and advice to help you cope with the death of someone important to you.

Read more
Estate Settlement Guide

If you’re in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist.

Read more
How to Write an Obituary

Need help writing an obituary? Here's a step-by-step guide...

Read more
Obituaries, grief & privacy: Legacy’s news editor on NPR podcast

Legacy's Linnea Crowther discusses how families talk about causes of death in the obituaries they write.

Read more
Ways to honor Scott Bertram's life and legacy
Obituary Examples

You may find these well-written obituary examples helpful as you write about your own family.

Read more
How to Write an Obituary

Need help writing an obituary? Here's a step-by-step guide...

Read more
Obituary Templates – Customizable Examples and Samples

These free blank templates make writing an obituary faster and easier.

Read more
How Do I Write a Eulogy?

Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love.

Read more