George Scarborough Sr.

George was a proud native of his hometown of Natchitoches, Louisiana, the third and youngest child of James Wiley and Sylvia LaCaze Scarborough. Early living on a rural farm in the segregated South taught him the values that characterized his life: integrity, honesty, caring for and encouraging others, discipline, ambition, and the value of hard work. Throughout his life he was intellectually curious, and never satisfied with superficial approaches to complicated issues. George loved life, having fun, and telling stories. His engaging personality drew people to him. To those of us who knew and loved him, he was a force of nature, stopped only by an unexpected heart attack. His was a life lived fully but ended too soon.

In 1965 George graduated from Central High School with honors, and moved to Washington, DC to train as a fingerprint technician at the FBI, aspiring to become an FBI Agent after college graduation. However, after two years at the FBI, it became clear that there was no path for him as an African American FBI Agent. He therefore began working on his undergraduate degree at The George Washington University (GW), focusing on Political Science and International Relations. While at GW, George worked as a Management Trainee for a major retail firm, played football and DJ’d on campus. He worked hard and laid the foundation for his life-long fascination and study of politics in the USA and around the world.

In 1968, George’s college education was put on hold when he was drafted into the US Army, 4th Infantry Division. He served four years, two of which were in Viet Nam as a Forward Observer, Artillery Surveyor, and Intelligence Officer. Due to his native abilities, he was selected for the 1st Special Forces Airborne. Prior to his 1972 honorable discharge, he faced and survived several brutal wartime challenges, including being incorrectly reported as deceased while missing in action in the Vietnamese jungles. However, these experiences made him truly fearless when facing future challenges in his life. He was a much-decorated soldier who served his country with distinction and honor.

George returned to DC in 1972 to complete his B.A. degree and pursue a business career in retail management. He gained valuable experience in transportation logistics and business management while working at Woodward & Lothrop and Hechinger & Company. Early in his enlistment George married and one son, George Scarborough II, was born in 1970; this marriage subsequently ended.

In 1973-1974, George wanted to try his hand at owning his own business and was presented with the opportunity to buy and run a retail carpet business. This launched his entrepreneurial career and from the 1970’s through the 1990’s, he built and successfully operated as Chairman & CEO several businesses including carpeting, limousine services, restaurants, and real estate with a passionate focus on a wide-ranging transportation business (air, land, and sea). During these years, he ran for DC City Council, was active in DC Democratic politics and quietly supported local philanthropic initiatives. He supported maintaining and advancing the hard-earned economic and political rights of African Americans and worked to improve and provide employment opportunities through his businesses, strongly advocating for economic empowerment in the African American community. These are commitments he continued throughout his life.

In 1973 George met Eleanor (Ellie) Taylor, a widow with two sons (Vince and Jonathan) and they married two years later in 1975. Their twenty-three years of happy marriage continued until Ellie’s death from cancer in 1996. George subsequently remained a widower.

Over the following years, George continued to actively pursue his entrepreneurial interests while sharing the hospitality of his home and lifestyle with friends and colleagues. On the home-side, he loved entertaining and was a great cook, proud to prepare and share his favorite Southern & Louisiana dishes and BBQ! Professionally, he would buy a business, build it into a successful enterprise, sell it, and use the profits to buy other businesses that offered new challenges. He moved into and out of a variety of transportation enterprises. He loved operating in the international environment, despite the challenges and risks. As he moved into the senior years of his life and transitioned into retirement, he sold many of these businesses. He still followed the industry markets and was seeking new ways to maintain an active interest and engage in new types of involvement.

George was preceded in death by his parents; his half-sisters Ella V. and Oma Lee Scarborough and half-brother Homer Scarborough; his sister Gladys Lee Scarborough Woodson; his wife Eleanor Taylor; and his son Vince Taylor. He is survived by his sons George Scarborough II and Jonathan Taylor (LaRhonda & sons); granddaughter Amara; his brother James W. Scarborough; niece Sylvia Woodson Crosby; numerous Scarborough and LaCaze relatives; his close DC area “family” - Karen Carpenter, Sandra Gleason, Carolyn Stevens, Gwendolyn Taylor, and Carol Turner; his special neighbors Kenny and Amanda Lowe; his dog and Best Pal Cooper; close neighbors in his Beach Mill Downs Community; and numerous friends and colleagues across the DC Metro area and worldwide.

Following his request, George’s final resting place will be in Natchitoches, LA near his parents. We mourn his loss. He will live on in our hearts.

A Celebration of Life Visitation for George will occur Friday, February, 2, 2024 from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Murphy Funeral Homes, 1102 West Broad Street, Falls Church, VA 22046. A Celebration of Life Funeral Service will be held Saturday February 3, 2024 from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM at Murphy Funeral Homes, 1102 West Broad Street, Falls Church, VA 22046 (the Saturday Funeral Service will also be webcast.)