Robert Scott Vogt

It has been said that the most overlooked part of the inscription on ones headstone, and what it represents, is the hyphen separating the dates of birth and death. A person’s life is represented by that simple, yet meaningful symbol. The following is a feeble attempt to describe Scott’s “hyphen” and what it means to all of us.

Scott’s life is best described by how he lived it. One of early childhood, early adulthood, marriage and fatherhood and his valiant fight in dealing with the most painful disease known-reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD).

CHILDHOOD

Scott entered this world as hard as he left it. After an arduous trip from Idaho to Bradenton, Florida in the eighth month of pregnancy, his mother Rusty had a rough labor and Scott had to be delivered by C-Section. It was a difficult decision-save the mother or save the child. Fortunately, both survived. He grew up with an older sister Kari and brother Tim. He was another Navy “brat” who endured many moves and schools. By the time he was in second grade he had traveled across the Pacific by air and ship, he had crossed over the Golden Gate by air, drove over it in a car and sailed under it in a ship. He knew it was painted orange not golden. He had been to the top of the Space Needle, seen Old Faithful, Mt. Rushmore, Cody Wild West Museum , circumnavigated Chicago, toured New York City and the Empire State Building and traveled to many points west. This must have been the seed that grew into a great love of the outdoors and the Western part of the United States.

Scott developed a great love of books at an early age and read obsessively although he didn’t like school. He never thought he was smart but the family knew better. It wasn’t until early adulthood that he blossomed into a self-made businessman and estate planner. He and his brother Tim were early adventurers. They always played at the edge with Scott being the most daring in pushing the envelope. His sister Kari was his confidant and protector with a special relationship that lasted until today. A friend from those days wrote, “Scott has always been one of my favorite ‘little brothers’. He was always smiling a contagious smile, planning something mischievous and was truly very funny. He was every bit of this all of the time. I hope that all of the sadness surrounding his death will be interrupted by happy memories of his sense of humor and his unforgettable imitation of Steve Martin’s Wild and Crazy Guys and that uncontrollable giggles will break the tears.” Scott loved aviation and became an expert in military aircraft and capabilities. He would park at the end of a military airport just to watch the airplanes. Later he would become a licensed pilot.

EARLY ADULTHOOD

After high school Scott worked at several jobs. One involved him and Tim traveling to Kuwait to conduct a supply inventory for the Kuwaiti Air Force. After that experience the duo traipsed through the “hot spots” of Europe including the beaches at Nice, France. He became a Submarine Base Security guard and attended the Connecticut State Police Academy. He worked as a Private Investigator and developed a love of firearms. Again, he became an expert in weaponry and owned a small number of firearms. He was in many ways a gentle giant. At six foot four and 240 pounds, he was strong and agile. He loved the security work. Yet, he played as hard as he worked still not figuring out what he was to become. During this time he met his future wife, Gerie.

MARRIAGE/FATHERHOOD

Scott followed Gerie to Florida and they became an “item.” Scott decided at some point during this time that if he was to have a successful future he had to get into the “white collar” arena. He studied for the state insurance licensing exam and passed. He and a very close friend Charles Sims, partnered selling insurance in Florida and other Southern states. Gerie and Scott acquired many friends at this time. Gerie was starting up her interior design business and Scott started his own group of agents. They bought a boat and navigated the inland lakes and the Intercoastal Waterway. Scott decided he liked the good life and wanted to enhance his education by taking a long arduous course in estate planning and passed the state licensing requirements to be both a securities and insurance agent. He won an annual award for surpassing the million dollar mark and he and Gerie enjoyed a two-week Mediterranean trip as a reward. He has a large trophy to show for it. They bought a bigger boat and ventured to the Bahamas and further up and down the Waterway. Gerie and Scott cemented their relationship of some ten years in a wedding on the shore of Lake Marion. Scott acquired more “toys”…ATV and civilian pilot’s license. He made many excursions into the Ocala National Forest on his ATV with a friend without incident. But while mowing his lawn he was bitten on the leg by a brown recluse spider-an event that was unknowingly going to change his and Gerie’s lives forever. Also, during this period, Scott’s mother learned she had ovarian cancer. Scott and Gerie promised her a grandchild. On a trip to Orlando, they announced Gerie was pregnant. Scott began experiencing pain in his feet which was diagnosed as requiring surgery on both feet. Unfortunately, this was a bad diagnosis and exactly the wrong thing to do. Even though he continued to have pain, he worked through it. Then the blessed event came. Sydney Reagan Vogt arrived and took center stage. Scott and Gerie continued to care for Sydney as Scott’s pain continued to progress to the point of excruciation. Normal pain medicines did not help, yet he continued to work. Eventually, the correct diagnosis was made-reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD). The pain increased to the point of causing short term memory loss. He simply could not trust himself to handle other people’s money with this condition. He gave up his career and after some time was assessed as fully disabled. Through all of this he was a wonderful father. He encouraged Sydney to read from a very early age and she reads many books a year today. He encouraged her athleticism and attended every sports and school event possible. He and Gerie taught her to be poised and confident. She has his love-of-life spirit as well as his compassion. He simply adored her. If you look at her closely, you will see Scott, in resemblance and spirit.

THE CITIZEN

Scott was a great patriot. He loved his country. He served on the City of Lake Mary Compliance Commission for over 15 years. One time during an election, he parked on a major highway with a sign showing his support for a candidate. A patrolman stopped and said he couldn’t do that…he said he could and wasn’t moving. A senior officer was called, and after a short deliberation, the officer decided Scott was in the right and his sign stayed up. He and Gerie own a few rental properties and on the way to one of them he noticed a young couple living in the woods with only a simple canvas covering. On his visits to his property he would drop off groceries to the homeless couple without prejudice or judgement. On another occasion a young uneducated homeless woman was stranded on a corner, he offered her a ride to a shelter. He was known to give a few dollars to his renters when they needed it even though he had little to give. His renters loved him because of his compassion and respect for them. Recently in two separate instances, he was one of the first to the scene of an automobile accident. In one the car burst into flames and Scott alone pulled the occupant from the burning car. In the other, the car left the road and rolled over. Again, Scott rushed to the scene and pulled the driver out of the car by himself. He quietly left the scenes without fanfare after the police arrived. This was Scott…a man of action but not seeking the limelight. He founded and led a discussion group consisting of scientists, educators, technicians and others in matters relating to a religious book called Urantia. He was a knowledgeable proponent and others called on him frequently. He gained great solace from this effort. He often discussed his spiritualty with Sydney in their private bedtime talks. She has shown great poise and maturity during this tragic time as a result of these discussions.

Expressing one’s life on a few pages of paper simply doesn’t describe the impact a person has on other people. Its purpose is to elicit the numerous memories we have of our time with him. Scott will always show himself in the actions of the people who knew him and loved him. He was a great father, husband, brother, and son. He was a big, big man.

CELEBRATION OF LIFE

A celebration of life will be held at the Timacuan Golf and Country Club in Lake Mary, Florida on Saturday, 31 March 2018 between 11 AM and 1PM. Dress is Florida casual. Please drop by to pay your respects to Gerie and Sydney and share any memories you have. Refreshments and snacks will be served.