WAREHAM - Dale Scott, a loving mother and wife, passed away unexpectedly at age 87 in Wareham, Massachusetts on July 1, 2024. The oldest of three children born and raised in the Yankee tradition of hard work, self-reliance, and dedication to family, she will be remembered for her exceptionally kind, welcoming, and helpful nature, and for her love of the environment and creatures therein. Inspired by multiple generations of spiritual leaders in a long lineage of New Englanders, she was endowed with a steady moral compass and empathy and compassion for others.

Born in Lynn, Massachusetts to father, John R. Gifford and mother, Norma Hutchinson Gifford, she spent her early years in Saugus, MA with close ties to her grandparents who lead a Methodist parish. Her connection with the ocean was formed in her early years with time spent on the sandy beaches in Falmouth, MA and the rocky shores of Yarmouth, ME. Her dad and surviving brother John H. Gifford enjoyed building boats for fun so there were always adventures to be had in the ocean. During her high school years, the family made a radical change when her father, following a deep connection with the land, transitioned from the profession of education to take up farming in Stratham, New Hampshire. Dale went on to study nursing at the University of New Hampshire and John’s Hopkins University, followed by a year at Katherine Gibbs College in Boston. It was there that she met her husband Robert D. Scott, a creative graphic artist from Texas who was studying fine art. Following their marriage in 1960, they had son Timothy and several years later had son Christopher. To accommodate the larger family in 1962 they moved to Walpole, MA, and then with the ocean calling, in 1972 they built an ocean-close house in Wareham, MA.

It was not long after the move to Wareham that she started working for a marine research laboratory in a waterfront house on an isolated marshy bay that was walking distance from home, accessible via a path through an Audubon forest. A very nice commute indeed! Several years later she took a position at the Bionomics laboratory in West Wareham, which later became Springborn, Inc. She worked there for 24 years before retiring as a human resources director in 2002, whereupon she and Robert became active members in such organizations as the Wareham Land Trust and Wareham Bike Path. Preserving land for wildlife and future generations was her way of making a difference and cherishing the things that she really loved.

Dale was a member of The Wareham Land Trust, The Buzzards Bay Coalition, and Sippican Choral Society.  She enjoyed gardening, hand embroidery, choral singing and birding.

Dale is survived by her husband and two children, one brother, and one grandchild. Her sister, Dianne Monahan, is deceased.

A private family service will be held at the end of July and a celebration of life gathering will be held in the early fall. In remembrance of Dale, charitable donations can be made to the Wareham Land Trust, P.O. Box 718, Wareham, MA 02571, National Audubon Society, ATTN: Donations, 225 Varick Street, 7th floor, New York, NY 10014 or a conservation group of your choice. 

Arrangements by Chapman Funerals & Cremations – Wareham.  To leave a message of condolence visit: www.chapmanfuneral.com