Kathleen McGraw Scott

Kathy was born on August 13, 1947 in Cumberland, Maryland, to Lt. William J. McGraw, USAF and Ethel Lee Miller. She grew up on or near military bases, living in Maryland, Washington DC, Bermuda; Berlin, Germany, New York, Montana, Massachusetts, and California, to name only a few. In 1965, the McGraw family returned to Baltimore, Maryland, where Kathy graduated from high school, and began a life of civil service. She first worked as a clerk-typist for the Social Security Administration, then became a claims examiner.

In May of 1969, Kathy agreed to go on a blind date with Richard Lawrence "Larry" Scott, this "great guy" that her best friend, Jackie McLain, had been trying to set her up with. Both Kathy and Larry hated the idea of a blind date, but they gave in. Four weeks later Larry proposed to Kathy, and her response was "I thought you'd never ask". They were married on November 8, 1969, and so began a love story that lasted 56 years. After the birth of their daughter, Kellie, they called their little family “The Three Musketeers".

In 1974 Larry's career took the Scott family to Virginia Beach, Virginia. There, Kathy attended college and became a court reporter, transcribing both civil and criminal cases. Her career spanned the next 20 years, in each place the family moved, including Coral Springs, Florida and Stafford Virginia. In 1995, Kathy and Larry retired to Forest Hill, Maryland to be closer to their families. It was at that time that Kathy was able to pursue her passion, and develop her talent as an artist, first in watercolor, then in oil painting. A long-time member of the Harford Artists' Association, Kathy's work has been displayed in many venues, including the Liriodendron Mansion, in the 2022 exhibit "6 Women Paint".

Kathy was a courageous fighter and a survivor. In 2011, she was diagnosed with a rare and deadly form of cancer called Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia. She became a patient of Dr. B. Douglas Smith and the team at Johns Hopkins Hospital. They offered her the opportunity to join a clinical trial-- an attempt to prove that using a haplo-allogeneic (half match) bone-marrow transplant could be just as effective in curing leukemia as using a full match. In 2012, her daughter Kellie was thrilled to be approved as the half-match donor. By this time, Kathy was a grandmother-- the best Grammy ever-- to Kellie's son, Michael. There was a lot of living for her to do. Kathy's transplant was a miraculous success, and she spent many years easing the fears of other leukemia patients. She and Kellie were featured in a segment on ABC news and spoke to other patients through their blog kathyandkelliefightcmml.com.

Kathy and her family were given 13 additional years together. In that time she enjoyed spending time with her extended family (including the Scotts, the Profilis, the Paynes, the Stones, the Kohls, the McLains, the Giles and the Hoffmans), painting, her dear "Art Friends", traveling to favorite historic sites, and researching family history. Every minute with Larry, Kellie, Lonnie and Michael she counted as a blessing.

Kathy was preceded in death by her parents, her brother David L. McGraw, and her dear cousins James Hoffman, Jean Hess and Robert Giles. Kathy is survived by her husband, Richard Lawrence Scott, her daughter, Kellie Scott Mullins, her son-in-law Lonnie J. Mullins, and her cherished grandson, Michael Anthony Scott Mullins. She will be eternally loved and missed every day.

Visitation will be held at Schimunek Funeral Home of Bel Air, Inc., located at 610 W MacPhail Rd, Bel Air, MD 21014, on Friday, November 14, 2025, from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm and from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Additional visitation will be held on Saturday, November 15, 2025, from 10:30 am to 11:00 am, followed by the funeral service at 11:00 am. A private interment will be held on Monday, November 17, 2025 at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society now Blood Cancer United.

https://bloodcancerunited.org/get-involved/ways-to-give