Marguerite Elizabeth Scott

It is hard to sum up a life like Maggie’s because she did so much of her living in the thousands of small things she did for other people. If there was a church gathering, Maggie was probably the one unlocking the doors. If there was a meeting, she somehow turned it into an occasion, complete with coffee, drinks and something homemade. And if 50 people needed dinner after rehearsal? There would be trays of chicken parm. This was how Maggie did things.

Maggie was born Marguerite Elizabeth Schlag in Zelienople, Pennsylvania, on August 14, 1940, to William Byron and Marguerite (Goldsmith) Schlag. At age four, she contracted a serious case of rheumatic fever that shaped much of her childhood. Confined to bed for several years, she was homeschooled until entering Mars Junior and Senior High School. She later attended Westminster College, where she earned a BFA, and studied secretarial work at Point Park College.

But the story of Maggie’s life was not about degrees or job titles. It was about people. She married Arnold “Arky” Klappas in 1962, and together they had two daughters, Pamela Sue Pariseau and Julianne Elizabeth Klappas. Their marriage later ended in divorce. In 1994, she married Daniel Ira Scott, her beloved husband and partner for more than 32 years.

Maggie had a varied career, but perhaps no story captures her better than St. Paul’s Christian Day School, a preschool in New City, New York. She started as the “Snack Lady” and, over more than two decades, helped grow and shape the school while working her way up to become its Director. Later, at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, she served as administrative assistant to the chief of neurosurgery, a role she considered one of her proudest professional accomplishments.

Another chapter took Maggie and Danny to Barbados, when Danny’s work with specialty contractor KHS&S brought him there for the construction of the renowned Sandy Lane Hotel. Maggie was offered a role on the project as well, and the two lived on the island for several years, forming close friendships and becoming part of the community. On her first Thanksgiving in Barbados, Maggie decided to host a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for the community. She cooked ten turkeys. For Maggie, this was all in a day’s work.

She loved music and theater nearly as much as she loved feeding people. A singer herself, Maggie sang in choirs and occasionally appeared onstage in musicals, though most often she was the one making the production happen. She spent decades with Elmwood Playhouse in Nyack, New York, helping produce countless plays and musicals and doing the mostly invisible work that makes community theater possible. In 1993, the Rockland Council on the Arts honored her for her exceptional support of the arts. Three years later, Elmwood Playhouse named her a Life Member, a rare honor recognizing extraordinary volunteerism and lasting dedication to the theater.

Service ran through Maggie’s life. She worked and volunteered extensively with people with physical and developmental disabilities, later served through AmeriCorps as a teacher and tutor, and, with Danny, co-chaired the Nature Coast Multiple Myeloma Support Group for many years.

But above all, there was her faith. For many years in New York, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in New City was an important part of Maggie’s life. Later, Grace Lutheran Church became her church home in Tampa. She served faithfully with the Altar Guild and as chair of the Worship and Music Committee, giving countless hours to the church. It was where she worshipped and served, but also where she cooked, organized, celebrated, made friendships and found community.

Maggie was a wonderful cook and an extraordinary baker, but her pies were legendary. Peach-blueberry, lemon meringue and apple crumb were among the favorites, although there were dozens more. Her pie crust had no recipe; she made it from memory and feel, which means, to the considerable frustration of everyone who loved it, the secret went with her. Her pies earned her the nickname “Magpie.”

She loved music, theater, flowers, cooking and entertaining. She loved her friends. And she truly loved her family. Nothing made Maggie happier than having everyone gathered at her home, throwing a party, celebrating a milestone or filling the house for the holidays.

Maggie is survived by her husband, Daniel Scott; her daughters, Pamela Pariseau and her husband, Kevin, and Julianne Klappas and her husband, John Jamilkowski; her stepchildren, Steven Scott and Missy Vanderploeg and her husband, Bill; and her grandchildren, Nicolas Pariseau, Justin Scott, Madison Vanderploeg, Logan Vanderploeg, Kate Jamilkowski, and Tucker Jamilkowski.

A funeral service celebrating Maggie’s life will be held Friday, September 18, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church, 3714 W. Linebaugh Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33618.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Maggie’s memory to the International Myeloma Foundation at www.myeloma.org