Name: Keaton's Redwood Chapel of Marin
Address: Novato, CA

It's February of 2021, and today, a friend asked me who to send their damaged drive to, and of course, I instantly thought of Scott, and only today found out he passed away years ago. I'm very, very sad, I had many interactions with Scott when I lived in the Bay Area twenty years ago, he was so very kind to me and cut me a break more than once, we knew each other through the north bay Mac community, and I always looked forward to talking with him and having a good laugh. RIP, Scott, you left a lot of good energy on this planet. My deepest belated condolences to his many friends and his family.

I'm not sure why, but today as I sit in front of the nth mac I've owned, I am thinking of Scotty.  Imagining him sitting with his kitty Tzuzu (sp?), expounding incredulously and hilariously about The Debacle of the Day.  The world is a slightly less exuberant place without him.
Travel well, old friend...
David Harp

I really enjoyed my couple years of high school with Scott at Wilkins High School back in 1961 ~ '62.
Scott was truly a laugh a minute. Scott, Robert Rose, Doug Errant,  Mac Horst and myself John Pommon hung out together.   Scott could get the whole class laughing with his happy sense of humor.  His laugh was contagious.  He loved Terry Thomas, Laurel and Hardy, Margeret Rutherford and Peter Sellers to name a few.  Scott wore his hair for a week like John Lennon when the Beatles invaded the music scene, he drove little European Sports cars and invented incredible things like his "voice diminisher" via Sterophonic design.
Scott Scott was great at card games and a clever billiards guy. I remember him explaining the superior inventive lap-seem vs buttseem design while he started at Oyster Bed waterbeds.  We took an incredible ski-trip weekend and had a blast at Squaw Valley with the entire "Gaidano Clan" and a great trip to Reno with a super neat pal Steve Bachman on a train from San Francisco. What great Hi-school memories with Scott. They were great years having 
 Scott's pleasant friendship.
It was so rewarding.  I was saddened to learn he is no longer with us. 

 RIP  SSSSSSSSSSSScott!   
J. Alexander Pommon
San Francisco

For a short time--just as Jasmine went under and DriveSavers was being born--I was lucky enough to be the object of Scott's attentions. A lovely, dear, charming, funny funny man, with boundless joy for life. Open, optimistic, and 'way sharp. Part of my birthday present that year was getting to drive the red Corvette down from the top of Mt Tam, with Scott braced and white-knuckled in the passenger seat. Such fun! He even got Dennis Hopper to write a note chastising me for taking a holiday without Scott. Never before or since have I met anyone with as much capacity to Enjoy. Being. Alive. In an online video some years back, I recognized the tremor in his hands. If only he'd thought ahead to write his own obit--such stories he would have told, with impeccable comic timing. I came looking online this morning to write to him, to say hello, only to discover this. I feel lucky, though, to have enjoyed him for a few months. Never regretted it. A true native son, an absolute original. Miss you.

Scott Henry Gaidano passed away peacefully on August 27, 2013, at the early age of 69, in his hometown of Novato, California, with his daughter and a dear friend by his side. He is survived by his daughter Sarai, grandson Ethan and brother Don, as well as many cousins, nieces, nephews and childhood friends. Scott was born in 1944 in San Francisco. His parents, Mario, a prominent San Francisco architect, and Fanita raised Scott and his younger brother, Don in San Francisco. Scott attended St. Vincent de Paul Grammar School, Marina Jr. High, Wilkens High School and San Francisco State, all in The City.  From the very beginning, Scott was a creative thinker and orator. He showed particular interest in electronics by building Hi Fi equipment including early computers. He also enjoyed photography, a hobby he picked up from his mother. 

Scott was fascinated with startup businesses and started two successful companies the first he named OysterBed, which he developed into a well-known waterbed and furniture company in San Francisco. He was known as “the Waterbed King” and became an icon, seen in TV commercials inviting potential buyers to “Come on down!” promising Champagne and a “test ride”. He also brought the waterbed concept to Australia and opened new stores around the world.

In 1990, as computers became more of an interest to Scott he co-founded DriveSavers, a world-renowned data recovery company, in Novato, California. Like many tech startup companies, the business began in Scott's home. As the company grew, they moved to a building in the Bel Marin Keys industrial park where he and his businesses partner currently employ a staff of over 90 people. Scott was the creative mind of the company, devising innovative marketing strategies, dynamic PR campaigns and created plenty of brand recognition for the growing company. His big-hearted compassion compelled him to develop a data recovery relief program for victims of natural disasters. Scott collected unusual data recoveries with interesting stories to build his "Museum of Bizarre Disk-asters" and led the company to fame with his quirky antics - capturing the interest of the Press, including TV and radio, across the bay area, the country and internationally. He is well known in the Computer industry as one of the pioneers in data recovery.

He loved animals and at one time worked at Marine World and often contributed to animal rescue organizations.

Scott had a fantastic sense of humor and loved making people laugh. He is greatly missed by his DriveSavers family and everyone who ever knew him.
A celebration of Scott's life was held at Deer Park Villa in Fairfax on Saturday October 26th 2013.

I loved Scott's fearless & heedless spirit, his good humor, many bodacious stories, his love of certain knicknacks and being at little debates between him & Jay. The world's richer for his having walked through it.

Many hours rolling on the floor in laughter with my beloved, hilarious friend Scott. Those times, our many and long talks on the phone at all hours of the night, and our trip to Hawaii with Sarai and Christina. Unforgettable; that's what being friends with you will always be for me Scott. I love you forever. My love to you Sarai and all of Scott's family and friends. He is missed. Rest in The Light, in Peace...and Laughter.

Susan Neuerburg Ashton ... First met Scottie at Wilkins ... and yes, he was the fiend that kidnapped "Froggy" and delivered him to the "Monster."  From that time forward "The Mad Italian" brought much "amore e risate."  I will truly miss Scottie.  My thoughts and prayers go to Scottie's brother at this sad time.  9/14/13

OBITUARY

Scott H. Gaidano

5 July, 1944 – 27 August, 2013

Keaton’s Redwood Chapel of Marin

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