Obituary: Harry Scott

As received from the Erickson Crowley Peterson Funeral Home:

Harry Anthony Scott

November 26, 1932 – September 16, 2023

On September 16, 2023, at 7:13 p.m., I said, “good-bye” to my husband of 67 years, Harry Anthony Scott. With me at our home in California, were our son Harry, his wife Angela and our daughter Jeanette and her husband Joseph.  Their never-ending priceless, support enabled me to make it through the agony of that heart-breaking day.

Harry was born on November 26, 1932, in the village of Laurium at Memorial Hospital.  His parents were Harry William Scott and Mary Ann Machowski Scott.  Four years later, they gifted Harry with his dear sweet brother, James Ronald Scott.  Their family was complete, and it was the beginning of years of joy and lives well lived.

At age four, he saw his first airplane at the airport in Laurium.  At the age of 11, he knew aeronautical engineering would be his future.  It led to a long and illustrious career in aviation and aerospace.  Aviation became his passion, and he could identify any airplane ever built in any country at a glance.  He attended Calumet Public Schools, graduating from high school in 1950.  While in school, he joined ROTC and received an excellent rating.  After graduating from high school, he made his way to California to attend Northrup Aeronautical Institute where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering.  In 1952, he was hired by North American Aviation and the employment relationship ended when he was drafted into military service in the Army at Camp Chaffee, Fort Smith, Arkansas until 1955.  While there, he was ranked as a Private First Class in charge of basic training.  

Following his honorable discharge, he was rehired by North American Aviation.  In 1955, he acquired his private pilot’s license and enjoyed flying locally until 1962.  In 1956, he met and married his wife, Frances and soon thereafter welcomed their son and daughter with great happiness.  Life now had a new beginning in California where family and aviation brought great joy.

Harry was part of North American Aviation and Rockwell (later acquired by Boeing) for 38 years until his retirement in December of 1990 as Chief Engineer and Program Manager for the X-30 National Aerospace Space Program (NASP) with a staff of 300 employees.  During that period of time, he achieved a multitude of accomplishments.  As part of the Advanced Design Department, Space Division, he helped design the docking module for the Apollo-Soyuz.  In 1970 Rockwell announced him as the Configuration Designer of the Space Shuttle.  

In 1994, after retiring from Boeing, he worked for several years as Executive Vice President on a project called Space Access for the purpose of providing commercial space launch service.  Space Access was developed by his friend and former colleague and staffed by many of the brilliant minds of some of the retirees of North American Aviation/Rockwell (Boeing).  

At the same time, he began to make plans to build his dream house in Calumet, Michigan.  A self-taught architect, he spent countless hours researching and creating hundreds of drawings by hand for the house plans.  He then participated in the building of the house and when it was completed, we were fortunate to spend Spring, Summer, and Fall seasons in the house and regularly filled it with family and friends. 

In 1992, he was invited to be a visiting professor at the Science University of Tokyo where we spent a memorable month enjoying the beauty of Japan and making new friends who made us feel most welcome.

Spending time in the Upper Peninsula allowed him the luxury of enjoying his love of scenic photography where his photographs were displayed and sold in the Keweenaw Gallery in 1994.

In 2009, our son Harry treated his father to a special birthday gift which was to ride in a P-51. His son rode alongside his father in a P-40. A most exciting day!

Harry had a lifetime of accomplishments in his career such as:

• He received his Master’s Degree in Business Administration.

• He was honored as a Calumet Distinguished Alumni in 2006.  An honor he deeply appreciated.  Several of his 1950 classmates and lifelong friends were also honored.

• He lectured in Vehicle Design Philosophy at California Polytechnic University, University of Michigan, Northrup University, Japan National Aerospace Laboratory, and the Science University of Tokyo.

• He taught Hypervelocity Vehicle Design at the United States Air Force Test Pilot school.

• He submitted a white paper on the X-30 NASP by request of the Congressional Committee on Science.

• He received the Prestigious SAE International Clarence L. Kelly Johnson Award for Aerospace and Vehicle Design Development Award in 2009 hosted by Boeing in Seattle, Washington.

• He was an active member since 1956 of the Experimental Aircraft Association, and was past President of the Los Angeles, California Chapter. He was the recipient of the President’s Award for Outstanding Contribution to Sport Aviation.

• He was a member of the American Air Museum in Britain, the Disabled American Veterans, the USO, the National Air and Space Museum, the Society National Museum of the United States Air Force, and  a lifetime member of the Air Force Association. 

• He has six patents and eleven publications.

He left his family with numerous heartfelt memories.  To name just a few:

• Two months prior to his passing, to celebrate our 67th wedding anniversary, our children and their spouses took us to the church where we were married to re-create our wedding, original wedding dress and all!  Photographs were taken that duplicated the original photos taken on our wedding day.  What a heart-warming memory.

• Campfires and hot dogs on the beach of Lake Superior where all the family pitched in to keep the fire going.

• Family road trips to Michigan, taking in the sights along the way while Dad whistled much of his driving time.  We even ran into brother Jim during our travels with his family driving from Washington heading to the same destination!

• He designed and began to build a homebuilt airplane.  The airplane was never finished, but his son and daughter plan to take parts of the aircraft as keepsakes to display in their respective homes.

• His birthdays were always a big celebration.  He even celebrated his 100th birthday prematurely, hosting a party attended by family and friends.

• On special occasions, Harry would treat the family to a very special dinner at Lawry’s Prime Rib in Beverly Hills, California.  The food was always excellent,  and the serving style was always so much fun to watch with the spinning salad and carving of the prime rib on a stainless-steel tableside cart.

• He loved his desserts and anything sweet. Angel food cakes were a favorite of his and you had to be quick to get a piece before it disappeared!  His specialty was to bake apples with brown sugar and cinnamon.

• We hosted a 50th wedding anniversary party at our Michigan house with 50 guests.  The house exterior was complete, however, inside we had no kitchen,  bathrooms, furniture, or running water, but thanks to catering, the party was enjoyed by all.  It was the highlight of that year.

• We held a surprise birthday party for him at the Museum of Flying in Santa Monica, California.  It was a celebration of life because Harry overcame cancer that year.  Guests were treated to a ride in a flight simulator and had private access for a tour of the museum.

He was completely committed to a healthy lifestyle.  Forty years of working out in a gym three days a week and walking several miles three days a week were the norm.  He never smoked or drank alcohol.  Unfortunately, none of those things prevented him from facing serious health challenges no person should ever have to endure in the last seven years of their life.  We believe it was those years of good health that helped him successfully overcome some of those challenges.

He is survived by his wife, Frances, son Harry William and his wife Angela, daughter Jeanette and her husband Joseph Patterson, his brother James Ronald Scott and his wife Dorothy, cousin Ralph Machowski and his wife Donna, cousin Joanne and her husband Len Kihlmire, cousin Vicki Potvin, cousin Bill Tolonen and his wife Marie, nephews James Michael Scott, Steven Scott and his wife Diane, David Scott and his wife Wendy, grandnephews Brandon and Jared Scott, grandnieces Kaitlyn, Kelsie, and Chelsea, and best friend Manny Fernandez and his wife Helene of West Hills, California.

Soon, we will travel to the beautiful Lakeview Cemetery in Calumet, Michigan where we will wish him a final good-bye and thank him for the wonderful life and never-to-be forgotten memories we shared.

I miss him.  I will always miss him.  I’ll never hear his voice again calling for “Frannie” from the other room.  I’ll never again hear him sing his out-of-tune one liner each night at bedtime, “Have I told you lately that I love you?”  I hope that someday my broken heart will begin to heal.

A special thank you to his many life-long friends, both near and far, too numerous to mention, whose conversations both when visiting or on the phone, included advice, laughter, and memories of the olden days.

He made several attempts to write his own obituary but could never finish it because we never really wanted to finish it. With apologies to my husband for any of your many accomplishments I may have failed to mention. Your loving wife, Frannie.

“If you live to be a hundred, I want to be a hundred minus one day so I would never live a day without you.”

A very special thank you to Joel Keranen and the staff of Erickson-Crowley-Peterson Funeral Home.

A funeral service will be held for Harry Scott on Thursday, October 26th, 2023, at 12:00 pm at the Erickson-Crowley-Peterson Funeral Home in Calumet Michigan. A visitation will be held on Thursday, October 26th, 2023 from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm. There will be a luncheon following the service. 

The Erickson Crowley Peterson Funeral Home will be assisting the family with arrangements.