Scott Browning

Robert "Scott" Browning, 81, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, March 5, 2023, at Southeast Hospital.

He was born at Southeast Hospital on March 14, 1941, to Robert Ozro "Buss" and Ruth Anna Vandivort Browning. Scott and Margaret Mary Uhl were married Aug. 2, 1969, at St. Mary's Cathedral.

He attended Lorimier School and enjoyed playing in Happy Hollow. At Cape Girardeau Central Junior High School, he started playing football and running sprints. Scott continued these sports at Cape Girardeau Central High School. He and Bill Roussel were co-captains of the football team. Scott earned seven varsity medals in high school and participated in three state track championships and one state indoor championship as a sprinter.

Scott enrolled at the University of New Mexico. He returned to Cape Girardeau and attended Southeast Missouri State College. He joined the track team and Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. Scott graduated in 1963 with a bachelor of arts degree in history.

Further education was completed at the University of Missouri-Columbia -- master of education -- and at Peabody College, now Vanderbilt -- master of art in history.

Scott taught at Central High School in St. Louis. He also coached the football team.

In June, 1970 Scott joined his father and Keith R. "Bill" Tolliver at Cape Girardeau County Abstract and Title Co. Upon the death of Buss Browning and the retirement of Bill Tolliver, Scott took over the company in 1985. In 1987, Jim Bollinger joined the company. Scott and Jim trained many employees and built the business into a full-service title company. Scott's wife and son, Rhett Browning, and employees continue the land title work today.

Scott was a 50-plus-year member of Missouri Land Title Association, American Land Title Association and Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce. He was also a decades-long member of Jackson Chamber and Southeast Missouri Realtors. Scott served as a past board member of Missouri Land Title Association. Scott was a long-time supporter of SEMO athletics.

Scott's interests were physical challenges, reading, classical music and the reproduction of it, and watching movies from the 1930s to the '60s.

Scott thought Cape Girardeau was the best place to spend one's life. He also thought growing up in the '50s with his classmates and participating with his sports team could not be topped.

He was grateful for his friends and employees. He also was thankful for all the customers, Realtors, lenders and attorneys who placed their trust in his work.

Scott, being an only child, considered his cousins his siblings. He was especially grateful for his grandmothers, Aunt Florence and Uncle Frank Paar and their son, Buss Paar, who raised him during World War II, while his dad was in the Navy and his mother was overseeing the abstract company.

Survivors are his wife, Margaret Browning; children, Kristin Ramelle Browning, Robert Rhett Browning and Dr. Alyssa Camille Browning (Dr. John J Lee); and grandson, Nicholas J. Lee.

Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 18, at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.

Funeral will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 18, at the funeral home with the Rev. Ellen Gurnon officiating.

Memorial contributions may be give to Make-A-Wish Foundation, 13523 Barrett Parkway Dr., Suite 241, Ballwin, MO 63021 or Special Olympics Missouri, 1625 N. Kingshighway, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701 or First Presbyterian Church, 235 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701.

Online condolences may be sent at www.fordandsonsfuneralhome.com.