William E. Scott Jr.

William E. Scott Jr, 94, passed away at Sparks Hospital in Fort Smith on Friday, Dec. 4, 2015. He was born on Dec. 24, 1920 in Hamburg, Ark. to William E. and Emilie Harriman Scott and preceded in death by his parents and four sisters. In 1939 he married his high school sweetheart, Devedia Powell of Hamburg, and they were together for 72 years until her passing in 2012. He is survived by their three children, Rebecca Lacewell of Fort Smith, John William Scott of Austin, Texas and Greg Scott of Los Angeles, Calif. Additional survivors include five grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild, nine nieces and nephews and one very special sister-in-law, Jeanette Morrison of Little Rock. William was a graduate of Hamburg High School and Tyler Commercial College in Texas. He served in the Army Signal Corp in WW II and was deployed to Okinawa during the final days of the war. After receiving an honorable discharge, he returned to Arkansas and lived most of his working life in Ashley County. He was employed by The Crossett Company, which later became the Georgia-Pacific Corporation, in the accounting division at their paper mill in Crossett. In 1965 he opened his own public accounting practice in which he worked until retirement in 1986. William and Devedia were active members of the First Baptist Church in Crossett where he proudly served as a deacon and Sunday School teacher for many years. In 2000, they moved to Fort Smith to be near their daughter and became members of the First Baptist Church of Fort Smith. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2015 at the chapel of Fentress Mortuary in Fort Smith and interment will be at the Fort Smith National Cemetery. His grandsons and great grandsons will serve as pall bearers. Memorial Contributions may be made to First Baptist Church, 1400 Grand Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 72901. To visit our online guestbook, go to www.fentressmortuary.com.