Joan Rita Scott, 84, of Beaumont, died Saturday, January 12, 2013, at Calder Woods, Beaumont. She was born on November 27, 1928, in Dublin, Ireland.  Her father, Michael John worked for the postal service in Dublin while her mother Molly raised their three girls.  Joan had two older sisters, Maureen and Sarah. 

She completed all her education in the Loreto schools for girls.  Growing up, Joan’s childhood home didn’t have a front yard and the back was a concrete slab.  As a young girl, she would walk almost two blocks with a coffee tin, fill it with soil from near the Royal Canal, carry it home, plant some seeds and plants would grow.  From that time on, she had a garden of some sort. 

After graduating school, Joan went to work at C.I.É. Group of Companies, public transport service, as a secretary, where she met the love of her life, Joseph Scott.  They dated three and a half years before marrying on June 14, 1955. Their two week long honeymoon took them throughout Europe: Brussels Belgium, Amsterdam Holland, and London England.  As was the custom in Ireland at that time, Joan did not return to work after she married.  Joe continued to work at C.I.É. until October 31, 1955. On November 9, 1955, Joe and Joan left their native country and set sail for America on the TSS New York. They arrived in New York on November 18, 1955.  Their ship was detoured to Halifax because very stormy weather forced them to detour from the normal route.  They soon arrived at their destination and continued their journey by train to New Orleans, Louisiana, then on to Beaumont.

Joe’s older brother, Jack and his wife, May, had been living in Beaumont about a year, and they met Joe and Joan at the station.  Joe was quickly employed by Mr. Albert Coburn of Coburn Wholesale Supply Company and Joan went to work for Pittsburgh Plate Glass as a secretary in the spring of 1956. Joan missed her family and friends in Ireland, so she left work to take a vacation to Ireland for two months in 1957.  When she returned, Joan went to work for Steadman Fruit Company.  She worked here until she left to go back to Ireland on November 9, 1959.

When she returned on December 13, 1959, she returned with their son, Kevin.  Soon after, they adopted their daughter, Mary, and then a few years after that, Shona joined their family.  Joan devoted all her energies into raising all three children full-time. She eventually became a grandmother.  Joan loved spending time with her three grandchildren, Kiri Taylor, Catherine Honey, and Sean Honey.

Joan obtained her driver’s license but didn’t really care to drive.  She managed to get around town to shop by riding her bicycle or taking the city bus.  When she no longer could ride her bike many years later, she continued to take the city bus.  She was once told by a fellow passenger that “she was too much of a lady to be riding the bus!”

When she wasn’t busy taking care of her children or husband, Joan volunteered at Some Other Place, helping those less fortunate.  She was also active in the local chapter of the International Club.  Joan served two terms as president of the club.  She decided to take calligraphy classes at night at Vincent Middle School, and both Joe and Joan took Tai-Chai classes.

Throughout her life, Joan was either crocheting or knitting.  She would make blankets, purses, coin purses, sweaters (for both people and dogs!), caps, scarves, and booties.  Most evenings would find her sitting in her favorite chair and you would hear the clink-clink-clink of the knitting needles.  She valiantly tried to pass this skill down to her daughters, but neither had her talent. 

Joan was best known for her green thumb.  She had an amazing ability to grow many varieties of plants and flowers and this is a love and gift she passed on to Kevin.  Her favorite flower was the pansy.  Every winter, their house would be surrounded with different colors of pansies.  During the summer, roses adorned the outside.  Joe didn’t fully share Joan’s love of gardening and didn’t want trees in the backyard. Joan decided that there weren’t enough trees in the backyard, so she planted two pine trees and told her kids, “Don’t tell Joe – let’s see if he notices.”   

Joan loved to bake.  Everyone in her family loved her Irish brown bread and scones.  Even if she told you the ingredients and how to make them, you just couldn’t recreate the wonderful flavor as when she made it.  As well as enjoying baking, Joan also had an incredible sweet-tooth.  She might even be caught occasionally eating desert instead of dinner! 

One of her favorite hobbies was traveling, especially back to Ireland.  Over the years, she traveled back to her native home at least forty times.  When Joe retired, they traveled together every year. Besides visiting Ireland, they also traveled all over Europe. When she wasn’t traveling abroad, Joan’s favorite place to visit was Galveston Island.  She loved the ocean and Galveston reminded her of Courtown, County Wexford in Ireland.

In her later years, Joan developed Alzheimer’s.  When her disease required professional care, she entered Calder Woods.  The nurses and CNA’s gave her loving care and catered to her every need.  The support they gave all of Joan’s family throughout the years, and especially in her final days, will never be forgotten.

She is survived by her husband, Joseph M. Scott; son, Kevin Scott and his wife, Susan, of Beaumont; daughters, Mary Taylor and her husband, Robert, of Charleston, South Carolina and Shona Honey of Lumberton; grandchildren, Kiri Taylor, Catherine Honey, and Seán Honey; and sister, Sadie Cannatella of Port Neches.

A gathering of Mrs. Scott’s family and friends will begin at 5:00 p.m., with her Rosary recited at 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, January 15, 2013, at Broussard’s, 1605 North Major Drive, Beaumont. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, January 16, 2013, in the Chapel of St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church, 6825 Gladys, Beaumont with her committal to follow at Broussard’s, Crematorium, Beaumont.

Memorial contributions may be made to Some Other Place, P.O. Box 843, Beaumont, Texas 77704.