Larry Addison Scott was born September 25, 1944 in Keams Canyon, Navajo County, Arizona, while his parents, Lewis and Naomi, were serving as missionaries with the Hopi people. He passed away on May 24, 2026 at Saint John’s Home in Rochester, NY. He is survived by his younger sisters, Ann and Karen, five nephews, three nieces, three great-nieces and three great- nephews, six cousins, and their many descendants. He is survived by his first wife Jamie Leoma Scott. Although they unmarried many years ago, they and we have remained close family.

Larry came of age in the 60s. Through a rural childhood, early years studying engineering at Swarthmore College where he met his sweetheart Jamie Leoma, and his circuitous path into the practice of law, he was led by his strong sense of justice. At home, he led our family singalongs playing guitar and piano, he helped his dad with home repairs, and he read Harry Potter to his nephews using character voices. He greatly enjoyed singing in his church choir, and he was thrilled to visit England, Scotland, Ireland, and Japan with the Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo Choir.

Both parents came from a farming background, and Larry grew up on small farms, raising goats, and gardens. His father served as a rural church minister through much of his childhood. While at Churchville Chili HS, Larry asked the chorus director to allow boys in the girls’ chorus so that he could sing. He had roles in Our Town, Music Man, and Oklahoma and played the baritone horn in the school band. Larry enjoyed tinkering with technology and started his college career in engineering at Swarthmore College in 1962. After two years he returned to Rochester, worked at General Dynamics and studied photography part time at the University of Rochester. He had taken up photography in high school and we have some wonderful family photos from those years. On June 17, 1967, Larry married Jamie Leoma, his Swarthmore sweetheart, and they moved into the Buffalo NY Quaker Meeting House as caretakers. This was the Vietnam War era and Larry was led by his peace advocacy background to help young men apply for conscientious objector status. The Friends Meeting House had a draft counseling center and Larry began to manage that program. He became an on-call expert for lawyers from around the country.

From his work counseling young men on the legal path to conscientious objector status, he realized the promise of a career in law. He graduated from SUNY Buffalo in 1972 with a BA in psychology, and matriculated in the University at Buffalo School of Law in 1973. Larry graduated from law school June 1976, was admitted to the NYS Bar Association Feb 1977, and was admitted to the Western NY Bar Association October 1977.

Through his adult life he practiced law, played guitar, piano, and sang, went camping and hiking in the Adirondacks, collected music and books, and loved his family. He had the gift of perfect pitch and helped musician friends write down their music from audio recordings. He could open any book of songs and sing the music, positioned in a good key for singalong. Just last winter, he left us a wonderful gift of new recordings of his piano improvisations after he rediscovered the joy of playing the piano at St.John’s Home.

Larry balanced serious work with fun. In 1999, Larry joined his sister Ann and her family on a summer vacation at the beach, whale watching and sightseeing in New England. His nephews were 11 and 8 years old. Each time we went into a restaurant for dinner, Larry would say “first, let’s see the dessert menu, we have to save room for dessert.”

“A Song of Living” by American poet Amelia Josephine Burr.

Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die.
I have sent up my gladness on wings, to be lost in the blue of the sky.
I have run and leaped with the rain, I have taken the wind to my breast.
My cheek like a drowsy child to the face of the earth I have pressed.
Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die

Memorial Service

Saturday, July 11, 2026 @ 1PM

Lutheran Church of Our Savior

2415 Chili Avenue

Rochester, NY 14624

Luncheon to follow service. (If planning to attend, please RSVP to kpreston55@yahoo.com.)

Burial Service

Sunday, July 12, 2026 @ 9 AM

Evergreen Cemetery Association

3817 County Road 2

Bloomfield, NY 14469

In lieu of flowers, the family would kindly request you to please consider a donations in Larry’s honor to the Heifer International. Donations may be made online HERE. Or via mail at

Heifer International

1 World Avenue

Little Rock, AR 72202