Melvin Eugene Scott was born on April 17, 1941 in Rock Hill, the third of seven children born to James Holmes Scott and Nannie Wren Scott. He passed away on August 2, 2021 in Mauldin. Melvin will be lovingly remembered by his son, Gary; his daughter-in-law, Kinga; his grandchildren, Lena and Emil; as well as many nieces and nephews, and countless friends. He is survived by his sisters Diane Mathis and Yvonne Van Seeters. He was preceded in death by his parents, James Holmes Scott and Nannie Wren Scott; his brothers James and Lawrence; and his sisters Judy Wells and Mary Barnes.

Upon high school graduation in 1959, Melvin enlisted in the Navy and became the radio operator for flight crew 10 in Patrol Squadron 28, the "Hawaiian Warriors." The crew flew a P-3 Orion and missions included crossing into Soviet air space to reconnoiter the response as well as checking the waters around nuclear test sites for civilian craft just prior to detonation. These missions provided Melvin with stories he shared through the years.

Shortly after being discharged from the Navy, Melvin met Naomi Ruth Williams and fell instantly in love. They were inseparable from the start, and throughout their marriage, they provided all who knew them with a clear example of how to have a strong and successful marriage. They were married in 1964 and settled in the Rock Hill area until the late 1970s, when they moved to southwest Virginia.

Melvin held a variety of jobs from debt collector to electrician before he enrolled in York County Technical College to study drafting. That decision and the degree that followed led Melvin into drafting and then engineering, culminating in over two decades' work in management, first as a project manager and then as a product manager. He designed coal mining equipment with Simons and Simons and was one of a few in management selected to stay on when Ingersoll Rand bought the company. Some of his designs literally revolutionized the coal mining industry, and during lean years, a machine he conceptualized and designed was the only product keeping that division of Ingersoll Rand profitable.

It was while he worked for Simons and Simons that the family moved from South Carolina to Virginia, first to Richlands, a tiny town in the coal country of southwest Virginia then to Bristol, a small town on the border of Virginia and Tennessee. Melvin and his family lived in Bristol for twenty years, and it was where Melvin and Naomi raised their son, Gary.

Melvin was a very active church member in all congregations he attended. He served as a deacon and then elder in the Worldwide Church of God. Always willing to serve, Melvin would be the first to volunteer for anything anyone in the church needed, from painting a widow's house to building props for a church play and anything and everything in between. He would willingly open his home, his wallet, and his heart for anyone who needed it. Above all, he was steadfast in his faith in God and depended on God's love and promises for his ultimate peace of mind. He truly lived in the light of his favorite passage from scripture, Philippians 4:6-7: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Melvin will be remembered for his kind and gentle spirit, his willingness to help, and his eagerness to tell stories, to laugh, and to encourage others.