Thomas Scott Albright
Scott knew how to live.
He had the incredible ability to keep life simple. Find some water, get outside, eat something delicious, call your people, open the good bottle of wine, take the trip and don't overthink it.
Thomas Scott Albright (Scott, Scottie, Gato and probably a few other names depending on which chapter of his life you shared with him) died on August 24th after a four-year journey with cancer. But he never let cancer become his life; he rarely complained, never wanted anyone worrying about him and even when he felt rough, he’d say “I think I'm feeling a little better each day.” Scott could find joy and humor everywhere, he was even told he was “having too much fun” in the chemo unit one time.
That optimism was core to who Scott is. A few days before he died, Scott was talking about when he would be going back to work, how he’d like to have a nice ribeye for dinner soon and planning the next trip.
Scott was born in Jacksonville, Florida, and grew up near the water. Water was where he was happiest his whole life: paddling, surfing, fly fishing, skinny dipping, going over and under waves at the beach, messing around in boats or simply just being by the water.
He went to Warren Wilson College, choosing the hippie college and his own path rather than the expected one. Scott was never particularly interested in following the traditional roadmap. He lived in Asheville, Bozeman, Ashland and Ventura (before they were cool). He spent many winters in Chile whitewater kayaking, driving a lot of unknown dirt roads, embracing the culture and generally operating without much of a plan (which most of the time resulted in the best possible stories). He traveled, kayaked, sailed, fished, surfed, played golf, cooked, ate well and accumulated adventures and friendships everywhere he went.
That love of the outdoors eventually led Scott into the outdoor industry, where he spent much of his career and the last fifteen years at Gregory Mountain Products. His time at Gregory meant so much to him, especially the community he was lucky to be part of. Coworkers became friends. Friends became family.
Scott could make almost anything fun. A van stuck in a river in New Zealand becomes a favorite story. A monsoon rain becomes part of the adventure. A setback becomes something to laugh
about. He had an extraordinary ability to meet life exactly where it is and still find something good in it.
More than anything, Scott loved people. He didn’t care much about status or stuff. He was incredibly humble, even though he had plenty he could brag about. The things that mattered to him were simple: his family, his partner Lindsay, his people, his ever-under-foot dog Beasley, being outside, shared meals, and whatever adventure was next. He was always surrounded by love, laughter and joy because those are the things he spent his life giving to everyone else.
Two months before his death, Scott was sailing in the British Virgin Islands for two weeks with people he loved and then hanging for a week in the mountains with his family. They weren’t final trips or bucket list items. It was just what Scott had always done: say yes when life offered you something worth doing.
Scott will be missed beyond measure. But the way he lived is still here, in all of us who were lucky enough to know and love him. Though he’s not with us physically, Scott is in every sunset cast, breakfast ball, sunrise paddle, amazing meal, bottle of Willamette Pinot with friends, song that comes on at the right moment and every ocean and river.
We’ll be celebrating Scott’s life in two places he loved, surrounded by people who loved him:
Montreat, NC (Asheville area): October 17
Salt Lake City, UT: October 24
We hope you’ll join us for whichever celebration works for you. Please RSVP here to help us plan and share info. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd7qAt_jo_6fxHJ4Ze1syYYAboM7ywcVG6BoDxR2xGNIivWsw/viewform
In lieu of flowers, please do something Scott would do. Go outside, say yes to an adventure and love the people around you.