James "Scott" Cole

James Scott Cole (59) loyal husband, son, brother and friend, passed away suddenly on October 16, 2023. Beloved by all, Scott leaves his cherished wife Susan Wilberg Cole to whom he was deeply devoted; brother Gene Jr. (Susan) of Charlotte, sister Margaret Atherton (Jim) of Vero Beach, Florida, in-laws Lis, Chrissy (Butch), John (Judy) and Janet (Eugene) along with nieces and nephews Emily, Jimmy, Jennifer, Cara, Max, Grace, Jack, Rebecca and Sierra and many cousins. Scott was predeceased by in-laws Jimmy Wilberg and Laurie Wilberg Veltri (Mark). He will be missed by all, including his and Susan’s pet schnauzers, Cora and Trixie.

Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, to the late Gene Porter Cole and Louise Cousar Cole, Scott was a graduate of West Charlotte HS and received a B.S. in Civil Engineering at NC State University.

Scott’s first professional job lasted 30 years, in many different roles. He served the public as a licensed Professional Engineer with the NC Dept. of Transportation - Division of Highways. Scott was selected to establish and oversaw the Traffic Operations Center and Incident Management Patrol in Charlotte. At his retirement, he was the Division Engineer at the Division 10 office, overseeing five counties, including Mecklenburg, the largest in the state. He completed over 300 projects, led 450 employees, and commandeered a $1.5B budget. Additionally, Scott served as the NCDOT representative on the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization technical board and was a member of WTS International, dedicated to advancing women in transportation.

In recognition of his leadership and service, he was awarded the Order of the Longleaf Pine, which was conferred at the direction of Governor Roy Cooper. This prestigious award honors individuals who provide exemplary service that has made a significant impact on communities within the state of North Carolina.

Scott joined RS&H in 2019, bringing dedication and extensive technical expertise to make an impact on a long list of projects, either by serving as Technical Lead, Project Manager, Sr. Advisor, or Project Director. A few of those projects include: US 74 Corridor Improvement Strategy, I-77 South Express Lanes, NCDOT’s Locally Administered Project process improvement, US 74 Express Lanes, and countless mobility plans, intersection projects, interchange conversations, among many others.

There is much more to Scott’s life than can be contained in this brief description. All are invited to share their memories with family and friends at the visitation on Monday, October 23, 2023, 1:00 to 3:00 pm, located at McEwen Funeral Service at Sharon Memorial Park, 5716 Monroe Road in Charlotte.