Scott Arthur Gifford

1944 - 2020

Scott Arthur Gifford

Tallahassee - Scott Arthur Gifford, 75, of Tallahassee, Florida passed away on Sunday, June 28, 2020 surrounded by love at the Margaret Z. Dozier House at Big Bend Hospice.

Ironically, Mr. Gifford was born on All Saints Day in St. Louis, Mo. He moved with his family to Winnetka, Illinois at an early age where he attended elementary school, junior high school, and New Trier High School. In 1958, the family moved to Palm Beach, Florida where Mr. Gifford attended Palm Beach Private School. As part of a school assignment dealing with world geography, Mr. Gifford wrote a letter to the embassy of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics requesting information about the country. When Soviet Life and Pravda began arriving at the office of his stockbroker father, Scott was given the opportunity to attend the Bolles Military Academy in Jacksonville. Following successful graduation from Bolles, he earned his B.A. degree in English from Rollins College in 1967. Mr. Gifford also studied Elizabethan and Jacobean literature at the University of Sussex in England. Also at Rollins he earned a Master of Education degree in Educational Psychology in 1968, the first advanced degree in that field awarded by the college. Academically, he was on the Dean's List and the President's List. He was a founding member of the local chapter of the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity where he held several offices. He wrote for the college newspaper and poetry magazine and broadcast for the college radio station.

After returning to teach at Bolles Academy for two years, Mr. Gifford embarked upon a 30-year career of public service with the Florida Department of Labor and Employment Security. But Mr. Gifford had better things to do.

Among his many passions, Mr. Gifford was a serious wine and spirits collector and cellared hundreds of bottles of wines, unique British gins, and classic single-malt scotch whiskies. He was also an avid collector of large-scale model railroad locomotives and rolling stock. Scott and his wife Cathy sought out tourist and excursion railroads wherever they travelled. They rode trains in Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Colorado, California, Arizona, Canada, and Mexico. His brother Douglas and sister-in-law Shari were prolific painters, and Mr. Gifford had many of their works and collected other pieces of fine art throughout his life.

He and Cathy loved to entertain, and friends always looked forward to dinners prepared by the host couple. For over twenty-five years, they hosted their annual fall Oktoberfest at their home where they prepared an extensive menu of German food. Oktoberfest became one of the most sought-after invitations in Tallahassee.

Mr. Gifford is survived by his loving wife Catherine Bedell, son Michael (Sandy), stepdaughters Suzanne Litherland and Wendy Gardner, granddaughter Carrie Litherland, great-granddaughter Scarlett Litherland, brothers Douglas (Shari) and Charles (Susan), sister Gail (Grant), and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. Missing him also will be several martini aficionados, single-malt connoisseurs, and a few baristas and waitresses.

The Gifford family would like to thank the caring staff at Tapestry at Walden and the doctors, nurses, and staff of Big Bend Hospice. Memorial contributions may be made to Big Bend Hospice, 1723 Mahan Center Blvd., Tallahassee, FL 32308 - www.bigbendhospice.org.

Kelly Barber of Bevis Funeral Home (850-385-2193 or www.bevisfh.com) is assisting the family with their arrangements.