A family-oriented man who dedicated his life to Wakefield
WAKEFIELD — James (Jim) M. Scott, age 90, a lifelong 
Wakefield resident, died on November 28, 2022, after an exceptionally well-lived life of service to his country, community, family, and others. Jim, born on December 18, 1931, truly loved the town of Wakefield. He dedicated his life to the town that shaped, from a very young age, who he was to become as an adult. Jim lent his voice to causes that he felt would continue to enrich the lives of others long after he was gone. He was the loving husband of the late Yvonne Scott of Wakefield; who he met at Hill’s Boathouse and Dance Hall on the shores of Wakefield’s Lake Quannapowitt. Jim and Yvonne were happily married for 60 years.
Jim was predeceased by his parents William D. Scott and Elena Scott, and his brother the late Sgt. Gerald F. Scott (MIA Korea), all of Wakefield. He is survived by his sister Claire Montejunas and her husband Joseph of Tennessee; and was the son-in-law of the late Dr. Thomas and Alfreda Grady of Lynn.
Jim was the loving father of Leslie Scott-Lysan and her husband Paul Lysan, of Wakefield; Gerald Scott, of Saco, Maine; James Scott and his wife Sharon, of Wakefield; Julie Scott, of Wakefield; Kevin Scott, of Wakefield; and Jean (Scott) Murtagh and her husband Kevin, of Troy New York. He was the adoring “Papa” of James “Jamie” Scott and his wife Cassandra of Westford; Christopher Scott and his wife Ashley, of Peabody; Taylor (Scott) Prowse and her husband Brett, of Wakefield, Kelly (Scott) Mooney and her husband Connor, of Salem, MA; Annette Lysan, of Wakefield; Grady Murtagh and his wife Ashley, of Nantucket, and Karen Murtagh, of Troy, New York. He is survived by many nieces and nephews and was “Great Grand Papa” to six great-grandchildren. Jim is also survived by his loving companion Karen Faler.
A lifelong resident of Wakefield, Jim attended St. Joseph School and was a 1949 graduate of Wakefield High School. A veteran of the Korean War, he served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean conflict from 1951-54 as an aviation boatswain’s mate with the 6th fleet on the USS Palau CVE- 122. He sailed all over the world, through both the Panama and Suez Canals, as well as throughout the Mediterranean and Asia. Jim enlisted in the Navy despite the fact that his only brother, Sergeant Gerald F. Scott, while with the Second Infantry Division of the Eighth Army, went missing in action during one of the Korean War’s worst massacres in the Hoengseong Valley south of Seoul in early 1951. By far, Jim’s proudest mission during the war was taking airplanes and military crew aboard the USS Paulu and delivering them to Japan to support other US troops in Korea, where he believed his missing brother was.
His time in Japan was spent visiting as many hospitals as possible while looking for and interviewing many US soldiers about his brother Gerald’s MIA status. All of Jim’s free time was spent listening as hospitalized soldiers shared their own stories of their imprisonments and war ordeals. Jim was compelled to learn of the experiences had by others who had served as his brother did. Jim was a proud American soldier, always filled with pride to serve in the same war that his brother was lost in. The life changing stories he heard during this time increased an already present desire to live his life to the fullest while serving to meet the needs of others.
Jim spent nearly 39 years with the Wakefield Municipal Light Department; starting on the Gas Division street crew. He later transferred to the Electric Division where he stayed until he joined the military service (Navy) in 1951. When he returned to Wakefield in 1954, Jim went back to his job at the MLD and became a member of the Line crew. For nearly 35 years, he worked his way up from Groundman, Lineman, Foreman, and eventually to Superintendent of the Electric Division, a position he was named in 1980, retiring as Electric Division Superintendent in 1989.
Jim received his B.A. in History and Government from Northeastern University in 1962. Anyone who knew Jim and his well-read wife Yvonne knew how much of this effort was born on the shoulders of his wife Yvonne. With four of their eventual six kids at home, Yvonne focused on raising kids, while at the same time endeavoring to help Jim with this educational milestone. As a member of the Knights of Columbus Council 104 and while serving as Grand Knight in the late 1960’s, Jim worked locally to bring different generations, religions, and groups together during a time of local, state, and national social unrest. Also during this time, Jim along with Yvonne founded the Cosmopolitan Square Dance Club. When his children were young, Jim also enjoyed coaching Little League.
After the Saint Joseph church fire in the late 1970’s, at which he was present as a lineman cutting off the power to the church, Jim felt compelled to give back to the church community that had, during his childhood years, given his family and his community so much. He served on the St. Joseph Church rebuilding committee. Receiving many awards and recognitions over the years, Jim was always exceptionally proud of when in 1984, he was presented with the West Side Social Club’s Citizen of the Year award.
For years, Jim was always actively involved with the Wakefield community. He served for 12 years as a member of the Board of Public Works and was the Director of the Youth Center from 1970-1981. His service to the youth of Wakefield brought him profound joy. Jim also served as a member of the Board of Selectmen for six years. So personally important to him during this time was when he helped the town acquire from the state, for public use, the building now known as Americal Civic Center. With his help and the assistance of then Governor Dukakis, the Town was able to purchase this beautiful building for a mere $1. At one time the Town came close to selling the property and Jim had to publicly argue against the sale. Due to his strong influence and the support of many others, the building thankfully stayed under Town ownership. Jim was so proud to see that the building today continues to be a meeting place and a strong source of community pride. Jim knew the necessity of a community saving and preserving town buildings.
Active in local politics, Jim was a member of the Town Democratic Committee and was a long time attendee and vocal participant at Wakefield Town Meetings. He was also interested in local, state, and federal politics; and was an early supporter of now Sen. Ed Markey and former Gov. Mike Dukakis. Gov. Dukakis and Jim were both joggers and would often join races around Lake Quannapowitt.
Important to Jim was always open space. To that end, he was a long time member of Friends of Lake Quannapowitt and served as a board member. In his various roles in town, he was always tremendously proud of leaving, as part of his legacy to the town, public open space. He worked tirelessly as an advocate for lakeside open space and is one of many who is responsible for the land acquired at the head of the lake, now known as the Gertrude Spaulding Park. In the early 1980’s Jim saw to it that the Town did not put condos adjacent to the common and fought to acquire the land by eminent domain that was adjacent to the Town common; and today it is the much loved and enjoyed Spaulding Street Park.
In May of 2020, Jim was the recipient of the Friends of Lake Quannapowitt Gertrude Spaulding Award and in 2021 he received an award for his many years of outstanding service as a member of the Board of Directors for The Friends of Lake Quannapowitt. In January of 2022, Jim was the recipient of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King Service Award, given by the Town of Wakefield’s Human Rights Commission “for his efforts on behalf of his community, promoting the civil and human rights of all people.”
In the summer of 2020, James proudly accepted The Korean Ambassador for Peace Medal on behalf of both himself and his late brother Gerald F. Scott (MIA Korea). In May of 2021, the Massachusetts Medal of Liberty was presented to Jim on behalf of his late brother, Sgt. Gerald F. Scott. The Medal of Liberty is awarded to the next of kin of service men and women from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts who were killed or missing in combat.
Jim along with his wife Yvonne was a long time member of the Bear Hill Golf Club, where he also served as a caddy in his youth. He was an avid jogger, biker, walker, mountain climber, cross country skier, golfer, as well as an avid golf ball hunter. Later in life, he enjoyed trips with Yvonne and various family members and friends to Ireland, the Caribbean, Toronto, Nantucket, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New Orleans. From his father he gained a love for the outdoors and enjoyed hiking and climbing in the White Mountains. He never forgot the very special summer of 1950, the last summer of his brother Gerald’s life. It was a joyful time as it was spent with his late father and late brother together for the last time while building a cabin in the woods of Ossipee, New Hampshire. Jim had a passion for picking blueberries and was often seen throughout New England and local garden blueberry patches, later delivering blueberries to friends and loved ones throughout the area.
Jim, a long-time blood donor, was immensely proud to help run a successful community bone marrow donor drive in honor of one of his granddaughters, where over 1,300 people got tested. Years later, many of those tested are still in the marrow donor database; themselves ready to help others when needed.
Visitation for relatives and friends will be held at the McDonald Funeral Home, 19 Yale Ave, Wakefield, on Monday, December 5 from 4 -7 p.m. The funeral Mass will be celebrated in St. Joseph Church, 173 Albion St. Wakefield on Tuesday, December 6 at 10 a.m., followed by a burial at Forest Glade Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Friends of Lake Quannapowitt, PO Box 517, Wakefield, MA 01880; or to the Sweetser Lecture Series, PO Box 1734, Wakefield, MA 01880. 
