John Terence Scott

John Terence Scott, known as Terry to his friends and family, was born in East Boldon, in County Durham, in the northeast of England. He soon relocated with his family to Crewe, in Cheshire, where his father worked on aircraft engines during World War II. He graduated from Crewe Grammar School in 1953 and began attending University College London. He received a BSc, MSc, and PhD, all in physics, from University College.

While at University College, Scott joined the London University Musical Society, where he met Eileen Hutton, a student at Westfield College. The two married on 1 April 1961. After the birth of their daughter, Sally, and the receipt of Scott’s PhD, both in 1964, the family relocated to Gainesville, Florida. Scott completed his postdoctoral fellowship in chemistry at the University of Florida, where he played cricket.

After welcoming their second daughter, Kathy, in 1966, the family moved north to the New York City suburbs in 1967, where Scott began his 32-year career with the American Institute of Physics (AIP). During that time, he went from being a junior editor at Physics Today to publisher of AIP’s collection of scientific journals.

He was also actively involved in IEEE and the International Council for Scientific and Technical Information, and he was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Physics, in Great Britain.

Following his retirement in 1999, Scott continued to consult with various organizations while also becoming an active member of the Zeiss Historica society. He amassed a large collection of cameras, many with the coveted Zeiss lenses, and also spent time taking pictures, baking bread, and cooking Chinese food and homemade pizza.

Scott was an extensive traveler, for both work and pleasure. His travels included Moscow, Tomsk in Siberia, Kyoto, Berlin, the Netherlands, Alaska, and numerous trips to England and France and his beloved Paris.

In 2006 Terry and Eileen relocated to Austin, Texas, to be closer to their grandchildren and away from the snow.

Throughout his life, Scott pursued his love for classical music through involvement with various choral groups, including a performance at Carnegie Hall with the Collegiate Chorale group of New York, and with the Austin Chamber Music Center. Along with his singing, he also enjoyed playing the flute and recorder.

John Terence Scott is survived by his wife of 62 years, Eileen Scott, his daughters Sally Scott and Kathy Scott-Mejia (Santiago), his grandchildren John Henry and Rebecca, and several nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Doctors Without Borders.

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