Merl was born on November 15, 1946, in Blackwell, Oklahoma to Earl and Grace Scott. He attended Lincoln Northeast High School, graduating in 1964. In 1965, Merl got married to Beth Bickford and joined the United States Navy the same year. During his military service, he served aboard the USS Cadmus in Newport, Rhode Island. After his service, the couple settled in Lincoln and raised four children. Merl received a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from Doane College and worked as the Chief Mechanical Inspector for the City of Lincoln for 20 years until his retirement in 2014.
After retiring, Merl enjoyed traveling all over the world with his wife. During his travels abroad, he started a tradition of getting a tattoo in every country he visited. Merl’s passion was cars, especially any Corvair he could get a good deal on. He was an active member of various car clubs and enjoyed working on different cars in his garage. He also enjoyed building model ships, found great joy in his bridge group, and was a big fan of the University of Nebraska women’s soccer team. He loved spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren and supported them in all their endeavors.
In addition to his parents, Merl is preceded in death by his siblings Earl Scott Jr., Ronald Scott, and Lily Scott; his niece, Gayle Scott and nephew Jeff Hoffart; as well as his in-laws Melvin and Lila Bickford.
He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Beth Scott; his sons Todd (Julie) Scott of Wahoo, and children Logan and Riley; Brian Scott of Chestertown, MD, and son Max Gaspers-Scott; Adam (Paula) Scott of Commerce City, CO and children Aiden and Ruby Scott; and his daughter Ashly Scott of Lincoln. He is also survived by his brother Larry (Connie) Scott, his sister Elaine (John) Falgione, his sister-in-law Brenda (Mike) Weekly, and numerous nieces, nephews, and family members.
He was a man who loved to have fun, keep busy with his many hobbies, and always had a joke ready. He was patient, understanding, and eager to share his knowledge. He was a hardworking individual who was respected by everyone and always willing to help his friends and family. He will be missed dearly by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him.
Please join us for a Celebration of Life gathering to honor Merl. It will be held on Saturday, April 20, 2024, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Roper and Sons Funeral Home South, located at 3950 Hohensee Drive, Lincoln, NE.
Memorials to the family for future designation.