Eris Noel Scott Brede

Chesapeake – Eris N. Scott Brede, 86, passed away February 14, 2010 in the Beth Sholom Home of Virginia Beach. She was born to the late Stafford and Ruth Noel on February 23, 1923 in Stuart, VA. Eris is preceded in death by first husband, Edward Scott; her brothers, Bill, Pete, and Dick; and sister, Helen Wright.

Left to cherish her memory are husband, Ernie; daughter, Cindy Bailey and husband Samuel; granddaughters, Tiffany and Stacy; nieces, Sharon Noel, Barbara McDonald, Susan Hysong, Rebecca Kelly, Jeanne Sheeley, and Patsy Bautista; and nephews, Thomas Noel, Roger Noel, and Rhon Wright, all of whom held a special place in her heart.

The family would like to extend a heart felt thank you to the Beth Sholom Home for taking such wonderful care of our wife and mother.

A funeral will be conducted Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. at Rosewood Kellum Funeral Home. The burial will follow in Rosewood Memorial Park. The family will receive friends at the funeral home Wednesday, February 17, 2010 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Memorial donations may be made to a charity of ones’ choice. You may offer condolences to the family at www.mem.com.

Eris was born during a driving snow storm in Stuart, Virginia. The Storm broke the doctor who welcomed her into the world had forgotten to make her presence official by reporting it to the records clerk. Learning of this lapse several decades later she was fortunate to locate elderly relatives with equally long memories who substantiated the event on February 23, 1923.

She left Appalachian State College after two years and sought employment a the Boston Navy yard during the early days of WWII. Starting as a file clerk she taught herself typing. This in order to join the typing pool where work was plentiful.

Jacksonville Florida was her next stop after a brief visit here to visit her family. Eris found employment with a trucking company in Jacksonville where she met and married Ed Scott. The early 1950’s signified a change as she and Ed drove their Plymouth convertible to Tidewater.

In what turned out to be the luckiest day of her life she was hired to work in the office at Nick Wrights dealership, The office manager, Mr. McFall, took an instant delight in someone whom she said embodied the ambition and willingness to learn that he looked forward to in a daughter if he and Mrs. McFall had ever had a child.

He taught her the rudiments of basic bookkeeping. Encouraging her to attend night school for further study of bookkeeping and accounting. . Mr. McFall was old school in manner but a man ahead of his time. He groomed Eris to succeed him as office manager in a day when few women could look forward to filling that position. Sadly, Mr. McFall never saw Eris succeed him he suffered a fatal heart attack while mowing his lawn.

Many owners bought the firm, changing its name to suit their dream and slowly Nick Wrights name disappeared form all but memory of those who knew him. Today the firm is known as Greenbrier Jeep.

Following almost a half century in the car business Eris slowly unwound the ties that blind and retired. It became a working retirement when she was approached by Chrysler’s district representative, May Kay to help set up the books of a new dealership in Suffolk.

The owners, Mr. and Mrs. Ed White, Sr. thought steeped in the car business had never owned a new car franchise with their two sons, Eddie Jr. and Clay. They were determined to make a go of Starr Motors.

Eris and Nellie White got along famously as they sat together to go about the business of setting up a business.

The day came when Eris thought again about retiring After all she had a new young Granddaughter anxious to teach her Grandma to play Power Rangers, Wishbone and all the many games that her young imagination could devise.

My mom was the best mother that you could ever ask for but she was also my best friend. In my younger years, I didn’t have very many childhood friends because my mom dropped me off in the morning at my grandparents and picked me up at night. We spent a lot of time together because of that. I remember that we would get in the floor together, she would get out her bobby pins, and she would have a drink in one hand, along with a cigarette in the other. I also had my little drink and a pretend cigarette because I wanted to be just like her. In my late teenage years and throughout the rest of my life, I was sick quite often. I do not know how I would’ve made it without her. She always helped me with my expenses so I didn’t worry myself with trying to juggle bills and my health at the same time. My husband said many times over that there weren’t many son-in-laws that could say that they never had a cross word or an argument with their mother-in-law in twenty-five years. When my daughter Tiffany was born, she was my mother’s entire world, but she never forgot about her husband, daughter, and son-in-law. One of her greatest loves was working in her flowerbeds. My mother was one of the most loving, caring, and compassionate people I have ever known. Even when my mother was in the nursing home, she loved all of the staff and wanted to pay them for everything they did for her. My mom was one of the strongest people I have ever known. When my dad and my grandfather were both dying of cancer and living with her, this woman worked a full-time job, came home, cooked dinner and took care of both of them. She still took care of mowing the grass and her flowerbeds. She never complained; she got tired but never missed a beat. When God created my mother, he did a wonderful job because she was so many things to so many different people.

Sam and Tiffany will always carry you with them in their hearts.

Mom, you will always be in my thoughts and in my heart. There will be a deep hole in my heart , now that you have left me, but One day we will meet in Heaven and you will finally be able to say, “I’m glad you finally lost that weight.”

Mom I’m running out of time, God Bless you, and say Hi to dad when you arrive, I know he will be very glad to see you.