Joe Scott
Former Mount Olive Mayor Joseph “Joe” Edward Scott, who died Monday, Nov. 6 at his home in Albertson, is being remembered for a legacy of public and community service and of economic development for Mount Olive and the surrounding area.
He was 74.
Scott served as the town’s District 4 commissioner prior to being elected mayor in 2017. He had lived in Mount Olive until just recently, when he and his wife of 50 years, Rebecca Potter Scott, moved to Albertson.
He was a member and past president of the Mount Olive Exchange Club; a member of the Mount Olive Area Chamber of Commerce where he served as president; and a member of the Wayne County Development Alliance where he served as chairman.
Scott also served on the Transportation Advisory Board and the Eastern Carolina Council of Government.
“He was truly dedicated to serving people,” said at-large Commissioner Steve Wiggins, who grew up with Scott. “As a person I can tell you — I have known him all my life — and he has always been a clean-living person. When I say clean living that boy has never had a cigarette to his lips. He has never had alcohol to his lips.
“I don’t know that I ever heard him cuss. He was just a good person. In my heart I believe there is more than just this life. This is not the end for Joe Scott, and wherever he may be today, I know that he is still serving because that was his passion.”
Wiggins and Scott grew up next to each other in the country outside of Mount Olive. They were both in the Boy Scouts where Wiggins’ father was Scoutmaster.
Scott had two ponies, one named Mamie and the other Ike, possibly after President Eisenhower, Wiggins said.
Wiggins jokes that he and his brother quickly made fast friends with Scott so they could ride the ponies.
“Years went by and we stayed friends,” Wiggins said. “Joe was the kind of person who had a focused sense of what was right and wrong. If he saw you doing something wrong, he was going to call you on it.”
Wiggins remembers one time when Scott disagreed with him on something and reported him to the principal.
“I should have been mad at him, but the very next day there was something playing at the Center Theatre,” he said. “Joe called me up like nothing had happened, ‘Do want us to go see that movie?’
“We went to see the movie as if nothing had happened. He did not hold a personal grudge, at least he didn’t with me.”
Years later, when Scott was running for mayor, he convinced Wiggins to run for the board. At first Wiggins declined, but finally filed for, and won, the at-large seat.
Serving on the board opened doors to meeting new people and widening Wiggins’ circle of friends — something that he attributes to Scott.
As mayor there might have been people who did not agree with Scott, Wiggins said.
However, Scott knew how to unite the board, he added.
“He knew how to bring people together,” he added. “I have real fond memories of Joe in my heart simply because we grew up together and not only that, our fathers — his father was Tip Scott and my father was Latham Wiggins — and they kind of grew up next door together.
“They were friends as well.”
Scott was passionate about Mount Olive, the community and making a difference, Chamber President Julie Beck said.
“He really believed in this community and was involved in a lot of different aspects,” she said. “He was a big aspect of the Chamber, the town. He served on the Wayne County Development Alliance.
“So it wasn’t just about the people, it was about all of the aspects — economic impact, the people, just everybody.”
His legacy of involvement remains, she added.
“I am looking at a banner hanging in my office that came when Joe was mayor,” Beck continued. “We ordered a bunch of banners to make sure that people knew about our community.
“He may be gone, but he will not be forgotten. It is a lasting legacy.”
N.C. House Majority Leader John Bell, a native of the Mount Olive area, grew up with Scott’s’ sons, including through the Scouting community.
“Joe Scott was a fine man,” Bell said. “He has just always been somebody who had a good heart, a good person and just really tried to do what he thought was best not just when he was serving on the city council, or mayor of Mount Olive, but just as a good citizen, a good person.
“We have a void there in our community, our county, our state. Our world needs more people like Joe Scott in it.”
Bell recalled working with Scott on town projects including ongoing water and sewer issues.
Scott was instrumental in working with state lawmakers to secure funding to move that process along, Bell added.
They also worked together on economic development, he said.
“Joe was everywhere,” Bell said. “It didn’t matter if it was in Mount Olive or not. If it was in Wayne County or in Duplin County, in our community, Joe was there.
“He would be around the community, and he would come to Raleigh. He was a very active force.”
Scott retired from Acme United Corporation following six years as purchasing and logistics manager for its health care division.
He was the manager for Grain Systems, Inc. (GSI), North Carolina division, for 10 years. Scott also worked in sales and was part owner in Scott and Jones, Inc. in Calypso for 20 years.
A former Scoutmaster, Scott served on advisory boards for B.F. Grady School, Albertson and Southern Wayne High School, Dudley.
Scott was preceded in death by his parents Oliver “Tip” and Velma Scott.
He is survived by his wife, Rebecca Potter Scott; son Jacob Wayne Scott and wife Amanda; son Jonathan Edward Scott and wife Shannon; and son Jason Alan Scott; and six grandchildren, Alyssa and husband Cole, Ashley, Abigail, Landon, Madeline and Lila.
Scott was active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where he held numerous office including serving as bishop of the Mount Olive Ward for many years.
Visitation was held Wednesday, Nov. 8, at the Albertson Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 3554 N.C. Hwy 111 & 903, Albertson. The funeral service followed.
Graveside services will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 9, at Maplewood Cemetery in Mount Olive.
In lieu of flowers, Scott had requested that donations be made to the Mount Olive Exchange Club, P.O. Box 583, Mount Olive, N.C. 28365.
Donations will go toward the prevention of child abuse, a cause that he passionate about.
