1934 - 2026

Donald Lawrence Scott passed away New Year's Day at age 91 after a long battle with chronic kidney disease. He survived a full 19 months after discontinuing dialysis in May 2024. A fighter pilot to the end, he beat the medical odds for a very long time. Preceded in death by his sister Lois Westmont and brother Owen Scott, he is survived by his wife Kathryn and his daughters, Karel and Sheryl.

Born and raised in Butte, Montana, Don received from his parents Jesse Lawrence and Clella Scott an education that served him well his entire life. No slacking off in school when his father was president of Butte Business College and his mother also worked there! Don was used to hard physical labor as he worked deep in the copper mines of Butte as well as on his grandmother's ranch in Philipsburg. For fun, Don and his cousins got to experience the joy of flight when his uncle John Truzzolino would take them aloft in his Piper Cub. (Note to aviation fans, Uncle John's pilot license was signed by Orville Wright!)

Don graduated with a bachelor's degree in engineering from Montana School of Mines and obtained his commission as an AFROTC graduate at UC Berkeley where he received a master's degree in nuclear physics. He entered the Air Force in December 1956 and became a fighter pilot. All of his operational assignments were in fighters, flying the F-84, F-100, and F-105. As a young pilot, Don and his family were stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Shortly after their return to the US, Don was assigned to Southeast Asia in 1965 as an F-105 Thunderchief pilot in the Vietnam War, where he flew 18 missions into North Vietnam.

Soon after this first combat assignment, Don's recognized talent took him to Nellis AFB, Nevada and into research and development of modern fighter weapons systems at the Air Force "Top Gun" unit. Recognizing Don's academic potential, the Air Force sent him to several advanced schools including the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. As a skilled engineer and fighter pilot, he was exceptionally suited both to develop and to flight-test new weapons. However, his unique skills and background as a basic fighter pilot were needed again as the Vietnam War continued, and from September 1969 through July 1970 he returned to combat, flying 146 missions in the F-105 Thunderchief.

Among the many awards honoring Don's service are the Distinguished Flying Cross with an Oak Leaf Cluster for "Extraordinary Achievement While Participating in Aerial Flight," the Air Medal with nine Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Legion of Merit for "exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services" as Chief of Engineering Service for the E-4B Emergency Airborne Command Post, the command center used by the President in times of dire emergency. Don retired as a Colonel from the Air Force in 1983 after a distinguished career of 27 years.

Following his Air Force retirement, Don worked at Boeing as a management engineer and later became a volunteer docent at the Museum of Flight.

A devoted husband, he celebrated 67 years of marriage with his high school sweetheart Kathy, and is much missed by her and his children. We feel blessed to have had so much extra time with him.

Don's military service will be honored at Tahoma National Cemetery Monday January 19 at 10:00 am. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Museum of Flight.

We welcome your memories about Don on his guest book found at the Guest Book tab above.