Dr. Philip Arnold Scott

March 16, 1929 - March 4, 2025

Born to parents Muriel Davy and Phillip Scott on March 16, 1929, Philip was the eldest of four children, followed by three younger sisters: Yvonne, Lorraine, and Norma in the next four years - all of whom sadly predeceased their older brother Philip, affectionately known as “Junior” in his youth.

Despite family hardships, Philip demonstrated signs of intelligence, tenacity and ambition from an early age. Family legend has it, his future ambition to become a dentist began by fitting and removing his grandmother’s dentures to amuse himself as a boy.

In the late nineteen-thirties, the family of six moved from Toronto to Kingston Jamaica, where the extended family already lived. Philip fondly recalled those years as the happiest of his childhood. He developed and maintained a lifelong attachment to the West Indies from those halcyon days in Jamaica.

Philip was a hardworking and enthusiastic student throughout his years at school, earning straight A’s at East York Collegiate, where in addition to being an active member of student council and the drama society, he was Valedictorian for his graduating year in 1948. Phil’s keen determination helped pave his way into the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Dentistry, where he graduated with honours and began a successful career at Toronto’s distinguished Medical Arts Bldg at the age of just twenty-five.

In his final year at U of T, Philip met his first wife, Shirley Linington, who was enrolled in the dental nursing program. The couple married in 1954 and subsequently had three children, who were raised in Toronto’s west-end neighbourhood of Baby Point during the 1960s to mid-seventies.

Dr. Scott was known to many and loved by all of his patients. He never forgot anyone’s name or their biography. He was genuinely interested in people from all walks of life. His children fondly remember his nightly ‘run-down’ or the highlights of who he’d seen that day.

In the late 1960s, Phil purchased property and built on the tiny island of Grenada, W.I., along with a growing number of Canadians, British and Americans. This began a whole new era for the Scotts. Many memories from island fêtes and adventures were etched on those family trips with his children and friends. Levera became a home away from home for the family. The beautiful beach house and surrounding property was built and furnished with the help of locally designed and sourced materials. Thankfully even Philip’s grandchildren made their way down to the island in their youth.

In 1979 Philip met and married his second wife, Terry Shaver (née Peters), and welcomed her to his Grenada home. When Philip wasn’t in Toronto practicing dentistry, the couple enjoyed exploring other countries. Everywhere the good doctor went, he carried his trusted still or movie camera. For over sixty years he documented his travels and times spent with family and friends.

Philip was a long-standing member of the Ontario and Canadian Dental Associations, U of T Faculty of Dentistry Alumni, The Clan Donald Society, and Humber Valley United Church. He was a devoted supporter of the performing arts, and his children and partners benefited for decades from his unwavering support for the Canadian Opera Company, the National Ballet of Canada and the Toronto Symphony.

Dr. Scott was a faithful and loving man with a sharp wit and good sense of humour. We learned early on our father belonged not only to his immediate family, but to most everybody he came upon during his life path. He passed away peacefully, a mere twelve days before his 96th birthday.

Philip leaves behind his wife, Terry, his three children, Stephen Scott (Deborah), Cara Hancox (RIchard), and Lisa Campbell (Douglas), his three grandchildren: Emma Hancox, Aaron Hancox, and Scott Campbell, along with five great-grandchildren: Ethan and Ella Campbell, Malcolm Osgoode, and Miles and Penelope Hancox.