Scott Doré – gentleman, humorist, & a great human being
Scott Doré left an impression in our hearts & imprints in our group that will remain with us forever.
So many great and accurate words describe him: kind, funny, generous, patient, and many more. This good man who will be so dearly missed was also very good at not taking the spotlight. Looking through years of photos and stories about Scott, I noticed something. He was always there but rarely took center stage. He was content to always kept that sly grin, kind words, and playful spirit ready to go at any time.
Scott was always present for us to answer the tech issue, to share a meal, to solve a problem, or just hang. He found joy in helping and giving. A quality that is too rare these days.
Scott helped me in so many ways. Help me to be a better programmer. Told me when I need to be a better manager. And he always managed to help me finish my terrible jokes no matter how many times I was repeating them. There are too many to go through, but one we loved is this: I would say, “Not sure If I can move this, I have a weak back”. Scott would not miss a beat and make sure everyone (especially the new folks) would hear, “Bill, when did you get that weak back?”. Of course, I would look at him, smile, and say, “oh, about a week back”. The loudest laughter at this would usually come from Scott.
Beyond silly jokes and a love of sushi, he made everyone feel special. He connected with so many fellow employees, clients, and members of the community. And we all loved him back. I just wish we had more time with him.
He talked of love of family, friends, and the balance of work and play. Always making sure he had the priorities and values that he learned from a young age showing as an example to the rest of us. We have his mother Helen, his father Tommy, and his sister Sara to thank for helping shape this man who shared much of his life with us.
Our organization was so blessed. For nearly 20 years we had a true gentleman and angel in our midst. He helped set the culture of honesty, loyalty, and care within our group. Values we will hold dear forever.
We miss you Scott. God bless you and your family.
Almost 20 years of lunches together – plate lunches, Legend’s burgers, the time that we brought a then 16-year-old Casey to Marley’s Bar, birthday lunches, field trips, homemade sandwiches and leftovers, all of the Bach lunches. Scott & I bought the very first & second Bach Lunch t-shirts sold and literally put them on that day & set up our chairs in the Firefly lobby.
One of my first memories of Scott was lunch time on my first or second day at Firefly. He had come upstairs to the clubhouse to meet Tracy for lunch. He stopped at my door and let me know that they usually sit outside for lunch and invited me to join them. That simple sentence made my day. That small act of kindness towards the newbie was representative of who he was. Welcoming, kind, and good-hearted
One of Scott’s favorite memories: the time he got caught drinking a daiquiri at the office. He loved to tell the story about that one time when Firefly was still in the Iberia Bank building, they came back from lunch with to-go daiquiris. Mike stopped him in the hallway and asked if he was drinking at work and Scott replied “I’m not working!”
Every time I had to go to Scott for something at work or just talk in general I knew it was going to be a good time. There wasn’t a single time I spoke to Scott and didn’t laugh and laugh out loud! I looked forward to all my conversations with Scott. When I had just started working at firefly and i still didn’t know Scott or the team very well, we were discussing work and it was a rainy day and I remember commenting ‘Wow, today is a great hot chocolate and pizza day” and Scott gave me a look and said “What kind of combination is that?! EW!” and I was not expecting that and I just busted out laughing and we laughed for a solid 30 minutes and joked about it after. It was a great day and has stuck with me.
Scott enjoyed telling a story about when we both ran walked the Festival International 5K. I didn’t have a pocket for my keys and he offered to hold them for me. I said I didn’t want to inconvenience him so I put my keys in the baby stroller of another friend who was also walking – and then that friend left with my keys still in the stroller and leaving me stranded. Scott volunteered to give me a ride home – much more of an inconvenience than carrying my keys would have been. That day I learned that if Scott ever offers to do anything for you or gives advice, accept it. He had a gift.
Not only was he incredibly kind, but he was absolutely hilarious. From the puns, the one-liners, stories, and even the fart gun – he knew how to brighten anyone’s day. His laughter was infectious and he brought us so much joy. One story he told that has stuck with me recently is how he got his flu shot in the Bulldog parking lot. Just that sentence alone makes me laugh. Really the best part of the story was how he prefaced it. “Hey, did I ever tell you how I got my flu shot in the Bulldog parking lot?” What a badass!
Anytime Scott fixed something and you let out a “Thank God!” Scott would reply with, “Just call me Scott.”
Scott started the tradition of including one “out of budget” gift item on your Firefly Christmas Wish List (Jeep Hurricane, 2011 GMC Sierra SLE – single cab, short bed, auto-locking limited-slip rear differential, Super Bowl tickets, The General Lee from the Dukes of Hazzard). If Scott or I ever pulled each other’s name, we did our best to gift the “out of budget” item. I think I still have my paper cut-out of a diamond Tag Heuer watch.
When I tell you Scott would never let you down, I mean it. We were horseback riding in Estes Park on a trip to Colorado when his watch rang from the office. He was very excited…I think this was his first Apple Watch. I remember looking back at him thinking, “I doubt you’ll even have service all the way up here, but alright cowboy! Save the day.” Poof! Remote Scott Effect, western style. That was a great day!
About the Author: Bill Dalton
