H. Scott Boswell, Jr.

For over forty years, up until the day of his passing, Scott was committed to his patients and medical research, working as a Professor of Medicine at the IU School of Medicine and as Chief of Hematology at Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center. He specialized in leukemia and lymphoma care and conducted research on oncogene signal transduction in acute myeloid leukemia. His complex work—both with patients and in the development of novel therapeutic drugs—was at times deeply rewarding and emotionally challenging. His lifelong dedication to medicine gave him profound purpose.

Scott was born on August 11, 1951, in South Hill, VA, to the late Howard and Virginia Bell Boswell. An only child, he grew up playing on the Boswell family farm with his many cousins and his dog, Sputnik. As a teenager, he played guitar in a band, The Riding Hoods, and was a four-sport athlete. Known for his left-handed jumpshot, he played forward for the Park View High School basketball team when they lost the state championship in a buzzer-beater.

Scott completed his undergraduate degree at Hampden-Sydney College, where he was inducted to Phi Beta Kappa, and graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1973. Soon after beginning medical school at the University of Virginia, the tragedy of losing his father to cancer solidified his commitment to studying oncology. Scott completed a year of residency at Parkland Memorial Hospital followed by a two-year fellowship at the National Institute of Health. He returned to the University of Virginia to complete his residency, where he met his first wife, Jane Mesic (Quilhot). They began their life together in Charlottesville. His job brought the young family to Indiana, where Scott lived and worked for the rest of his life, and raised two daughters, Rebecca and Courtney. In his next chapter of life in Indiana, he met his second wife, Lana Bousman (Boswell). They raised two sons together, William and Cooper. Scott’s parenting journey spanned decades, following all four of his children through Washington Township schools and their academic, artistic, and athletic pursuits.

Scott had a scholarly, evolving passion for America’s founding principles and democracy. Over the years, he returned to Williamsburg, VA many times with his children, and later, with his grandchildren.

Never fully acclimated to Indiana winter, in recent years, Scott has sought the warmth of Arizona and California’s desert lands, where his favorite pastime was running against the backdrop of a western vista.

Scott's love of music was constant and varied, but often carried a masterful guitar riff—Prince, The Rolling Stones, John Mayer.

Scott possessed the unintentional humor of a man who wore suits on Saturdays. He could express amusement with only the slightest change in his stoic expression or a well-timed nasal exhale. He was a man who loved culture—both “high” and “low.” He never met a pizza he didn’t call “the best damn pizza I ever had.” He cherished the hope and possibility of the March Madness season and enthusiastically adopted the teams of his children and their spouses.

How he would love to see his four children—far apart in stage of life and in distance—united in love for each other in his memory. He is survived by his former wife Jane Quilhot, and their daughters, Rebecca Boswell (Gabe Burnstein) and Courtney Sando (Noah); and his former wife Lana Boswell and their sons, William Boswell and Cooper Boswell. His grandchildren Remy, Juliette, Moses, and Max Burnstein; Rose and Oliver Sando will all miss their Grandpa Scott.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 26th at 1:00 p.m., with visitation beginning at 11:30 a.m., at his church in the Milner Chapel of Second Presbyterian Church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.