Scott remembered for providing ‘sense of security, peace’

Demopolis’ Dr. Christopher Scott, President and CEO of Larkin and Scott Funeral Directors, passed away Tuesday, leaving friends and acquaintances mourning the man who had consoled them through the years.

“He has given many people in this community, when they were at a place in their lives that they were very vulnerable, a sense of security and peace,” said Rev. Mickey Green, Pastor of Church Aflame in Demopolis. “This community is truly going to miss him.”

Rev. Green said Scott’s kindness went beyond his professional life and was a reflection of the person he was. “He was the type of person, whether you ran into him at the Post Office or Wal-Mart, he would always stop and speak to you,” Rev. Green said. “He was a very friendly person, a super nice person.”

Scott, known to most locally as “Chris,” passed away Tuesday, May 21. Memorial Services will be held on Saturday, May 25, from 1:30 p.m.-3 p.m. at Small Memorial AME Zion Church in Jefferson. No public viewing or visitation will be held.

Dr. Scott was the great-grandson of John and Mamie Larkin, who founded the business in 1907, according to the Larkin and Scott website. Dr. Scott joined the family business in 1985. Prior to returning to Demopolis, he served as the first African-American instructor and professor at Pierce Mortuary College in Atlanta, the largest mortuary college in the United States.

Among his numerous professional roles, he was Vice-Chairman of Education and a member of the Disaster Mortuary Team (D-Mort) for the Alabama Funeral Directors and Morticians Association, and also served as a board member of the Demopolis Federal Credit Union. He has taught numerous funeral directing and embalming educational and training seminars, and was widely regarded as one of the most talented speakers in the profession.