Charles Dennis Scott, of Lady Lake, passed away July 26, 2020 at Casa Bella Hospice House.
Dennis was born Jan. 31, 1947, in Fort Eustis, Va., to parents Jennie Gervasio & Charles W. Scott. He was raised in a loving Christian home in Trenton, N.J. He attended The King’s College in New York and graduated from Bloomfield College, where he received a degree in mathematics.
During his college years, he developed a love for soccer and was the team’s goalie. He took that passion and skill with him after graduation in 1969 and was chosen to be among the top 20 players selected to join the So Jersey Olympic Soccer Team.
He taught math at Copper Beach Middle School where he met his first wife. Though dedicated to his students at CBMS and later Freehold HS, he left teaching to join Merrill Lynch in 1974. His immediate success as a futures broker caused the company to change a longstanding policy and allowed husband and wife to work side by side as brokers. Many family members were then able to work together as a team.
He quickly obtained the title of VP and in 1982, he was honored to be one of the top 25 brokers for the firm. Specializing in cotton futures, he had clients in all aspects of the industry both domestic and international. Dennis traveled to USSR, Yugoslavia, China, & Mexico to meet with government cotton agencies.
In 1988, he relocated to Memphis to join Refco and the Sparks Companies. He cherished the friendship and guidance of Willard Sparks.
During the 1990’s, Dennis and a partner opened the Paramount Ballroom. Xavier Cugat Orchestra and Etta James were brought to entertain large crowds. They revived a C & W Club named Denim and Diamonds. They added a new concept by adding space for a club called Mine. “Though not a native Memphian”, he influenced, shaped, & impacted area nightlife”. Dennis owned Equestria Restaurant where he also developed a small “farm”. Having loved animals since childhood, he raised goats, peacocks, and chickens in the heart of Germantown.
In 2014, Dennis retired to The Villages in Florida and being the athlete he was he loved playing pickleball. A take-charge individual, he was captain of a team he named COTTON. He was proud of his winning team members. He was a man who devoted 110 % to any undertaking. He was greatly loved and will be missed.
He is survived by his wife Michelle and step-son Cody and sisters Linda Cartlidge (Jupiter, Fla), Debra Barrett (Little Egg Harbor, NJ), and brother Jeffrey Scott (Stuart, Fla)
A Celebration of Life will be held at The Villages, Fla and in Memphis at a future date. Memorials may be made to St Jude , ASPCA or the HC Lee scholarship at the College of Wooster, Wooster, Ohio 44691 ( est. in 1986 by CD Scott) .
