Scott Gamster

Scott Kemp Gamster, 65, of Marion, Ill., died Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2010, at his home.

A memorial service will be conducted at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Reynoldsburg Church near Tunnel Hill, Ill. The Rev. Pete Vinson will officiate. Private interment will be in Woodside Cemetery.

Friends may call from 6 to 8 p.m. today at Bailey Funeral Home in Vienna, Ill.

Scott was born in New Orleans on Sept. 11, 1945, and lived in Michigan and Indiana as a young boy. He, along with his family, later moved to Wheaton, Ill.

Scott graduated from Western Military Academy in Alton, Ill., in 1963, where he lettered in several sports and attained the rank of first lieutenant. Scott dabbled in acting and joked about being a "cadetspian." He received a bachelor of science in business administration from the University of Tulsa in 1967 and attended Washington University School of Law in St. Louis.

He worked during the summer of 1967 on a river barge that was based out of Paducah, Ky. During this time, Scott developed a lifelong love for being on the water. It was also during that summer that Scott met Suzanne Harper. They were married in 1968 in Paducah.

Scott and Suzanne moved to Alton, where he worked as an accountant with Laclede Steel. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Officer Candidate School and received an honorable discharge.

Scott and Suzanne then moved to Cape Girardeau to work for Medalist Industries. He advanced quickly, becoming president of Caproco Inc. in Sikeston, Mo., before the age of 30.

In 1977 Scott acquired Reaco Battery Service Co. (in business since 1924) and moved to Marion. He remained grateful to his family and a few friends for helping make the acquisition possible. Reaco was a well-established small company. With the help of loyal co-workers, Reaco grew to achieve a major position in its market, selling underground mining and forklift industrial batteries throughout the Midwest, South and Southwest.

Scott sold Reaco Battery to Crown Battery Co. of Fremont, Ohio, in 2006 and was appointed to the Crown Battery Board of Directors. Scott earned well-deserved respect as an honorable, intelligent businessman. He was self-made in every sense of the word.

Boating and fishing on big rivers, lakes and oceans became a favorite pastime and many stories evolved from trips on the water that Scott and Suzanne shared with friends. Disaster usually struck in some form(s) on those trips, but Scott helped all weather the storm, literally in some cases. With Scott as the self-professed captain, the trips were always great adventures.

Scott traveled the world on business and for pleasure. He enjoyed a wide variety of sport fishing in many of the top spots in the world, such as Abaco, Bahamas, Panama, Costa Rica, Belize and the Florida Keys, where his latest accomplishment was earning a Grand Slam award for catching a tarpon, bone fish and a snook in the same day.

His friends looked forward to hearing his fishing tales and seeing pictures from the trips. His personal favorite catch was a 600-pound black marlin in Costa Rica.

Scott was a loyal fan of the University of Tulsa sports teams, but his deepest sports loyalty was to his beloved Cubs; a lifelong affection to which his Cardinal friends took futile exception.

In addition to being a fan of college and professional teams, he coached Marion basketball and soccer youth leagues. His kids brought home several trophies and were always forces to be reckoned with. He enjoyed bowling and made many friends while doing so.

Scott spent many years hunting, four-wheeling and enjoying the outdoors with family and friends on the Harper family farm in Tunnel Hill.

He was a member of Commonwealth Yacht Club in Grand Rivers, Ky.; Islamorada Fishing Club in Islamorada, Fla.; International Gamefish Association; American Legion; and Elks Lodge. Scott belonged to the NRA and was a staunch supporter of the Republican Party.

Scott was preceded in death by his parents, Robert Lewis and Miriam Jeanette Randle Gamster; and his mother-in-law, Carmen Elizabeth Campbell Harper.

Scott is survived by his wife of 42 years, Suzanne Harper Gamster; a son, Grantland Scott Gamster and wife Lindsay Nicole; three grandsons, Grantland Gage Gamster, Broderick Scott Gamster and Anthony Titan Nemecek of Tunnel Hill. He was looking forward to the birth of another grandson in December. Scott is also survived by his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Norman and Helen Harper of Vienna; a brother-in-law, Paul Harper and wife Melinda, along with their children Audrey Brooke and Zachary Paul Harper, all of Paducah.

Scott was honored to be the godfather to Kelli Giles Lanza of Atlanta and Clayton Arthur Weston of Columbia, Mo.

Anyone who knew Scott will not forget his quick-witted humor, determination and undying commitment to his work, family and friends.

Contributions in memory of Scott K. Gamster may be made to the Missouri Military Academy math program, Attn: Christine Smith, Development Office, 204 N. Grand St., Mexico, MO 65265, or to Woodside Cemetery, c/o David Lawrence, 14408 Fowler School Road, Marion, IL 62959.

To leave an online message of condolence, please visit www.baileyfh.com.