Thomas William Scott was raised by his Irish mother Mary, and his Scottish father James, who immigrated from Ireland via Ellis Island to New York in the 1920s. Tom was the baby of the family, having 3 older brothers: James, Jack, & Charles, plus 3 older sisters: Marion, Anna, and Kathleen. Baby Tom was the 7th born child - making him the miracle kid that they loved & adored, in the most Irish fashion, tapping his knuckles with a tablespoon if he didn’t wash his hands before supper, boxing ears if he didn’t listen, and making him go to school, even when he was sick, so the childhood stories went!

Tom attended K-12 at Saint Teresa Boy’s School in Brooklyn, New York. He continued his education into Catholic University of Washington DC, earning his bachelor’s degree in English. Tom traveled from Brooklyn to DC, to Ireland, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Mexico, and of course France for the beaches!

Of all the places he traveled to, he most cherished going to work as a teacher at Seneca Valley High School in Gaithersburg, Maryland. It was then, when he was set up on a “color blind date” by his best friend Charlie - where he would meet the love of his life, a beautiful country girl from Linden, Texas named Jacquelyn.

Jackie was the newly hired librarian at Poolesville High school, where their mutual friend Beth worked as Jackie’s librarian assistant, and later married Charlie! After 5 years of courtship, Tom & Jackie married in the year 1976 in Takoma Park, Maryland. The ultimate runaway from racism & unwanted multiethnic discrimination took place on their 7 year stay in Honolulu, Hawaii - after having their honeymoon on the all inclusive island.

While living in Hawaii, Tom and Jackie gave birth to their first born son James, in ’79. After seven years on the island, Tom was still loving it, but Jackie wanted to move to California to be on the mainland and closer to family. Tom did what any loving husband would do, and supported his wife. They left Hawaii for another beautiful paradise by the sea - Oakland, CA in ’83! A few years later, in ‘86, they gave birth to twins Thomas Frederick & Leanna Marie, two minutes apart. A family of five, Jackie & Tom felt complete and never stopped giving examples of how a real relationship can work in real life.

Tom attended Cal State Hayward to earn his master’s degree in education in the late ’80’s. For a quick job, Tom started to sell encyclopedias in the hood of East Oakland, from Seminary to the 100’s to be exact! He experienced his share of “inverted racism” in Oakland, by not being able to get a teaching job, until Jackie’s father Les - took Tom to Oakland Unified School District’s HR department, and said “this is my black son, and he’s applying to be a teacher!”

White or black Tom, however one viewed him - stayed employed with OUSD for 32 years, starting as an ESL teacher, progressing as a high school English teacher, & becoming one the best school-to-careers liaison, mentor and consultant, on this side of the bay! He was always involved in teaching and giving students the best career-driven advice and direction.

After Tom retired in 2015, he & Jackie sold their Oakland home and moved to Fremont, CA. There he went back to work volunteering his time teaching & connecting students with jobs in education. One of his passions and favorite activities was volunteering as a teacher mentor with the Architecture Construction & Engineering (ACE) Mentor Program, engaging high school students to pursue these career fields. He was also a member of the local chapter of California Retired Teachers Association (CAL RTA). He kept himself busy at all times and never stopped encouraging “our future leaders of tomorrow”.

Forever Pops’ legacy, vibrancy, charm, black & white comedy, lives on through his wife Jackie, their three children and four grandchildren, for future generations of teaching teachable moments - of love and acceptance, fun times in the midst of challenges, & above all else - a Brooklyn Irish Catholic upbringing of faith, and a Shiloh Oakland Pentecostal love of Jesus - which he and his Scott family have shared with the Bay Area and beyond.

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