Jesse Scott, 61

Jesse Teed Scott, a master carpenter who had been a deckhand on a Viking Fleet boat that picked up Cuban refugees off Key West in 1980, died of complications from colon surgery on May 15 at the Grand Strand Medical Center in Myrtle Beach, S.C. He was 61. 

Mr. Scott, who was called Jay, was born on March 20, 1957, in Brooklyn to Jesse T. Scott and the former Elizabeth Conrad. His father, an East Hampton resident, was a Navy man who moved his family to Montauk after leaving the service. Mr. Scott grew up in Montauk, where he was a member of a Boy Scout troop and eventually earned scouting’s highest rank, Eagle Scout, later becoming a scoutmaster. 

After graduating from East Hampton High School, Mr. Scott worked on the Viking party boats out of Montauk for a number of years before turning to carpentry, a trade he was introduced to in high school shop classes. Although largely self-taught, he became a proficient carpenter who worked for a number of companies over the years, his family said. 

Mr. Scott enjoyed fishing and scuba diving and had traveled to find the best diving spots. He was also enthusiastic about golf, traveling with friends to Myrtle Beach regularly for golf vacations. A few years ago, he retired to nearby Conway, S. C. 

Mr. Conway was briefly married to Maura Doyle of Southampton, and the couple had a daughter, Emily T. Scott, who died before him. He is survived by a brother, Wayne Scott of Montauk, and a sister, Jeanette Scott-Glinka of Conway. His family will hold a memorial service in Montauk at a date to be announced. They have suggested memorial contributions to Boy Scout Troop 136, P.O. Box 509, Montauk 11954.