Edward L. Scales Sr., 89, of Palm Harbor, died July 7, 2015 at Hospice Brookside. He was born in Louisville, KY, to Sherrill & Ada Scales. He and his wife, Roxanna, moved to Clearwater in 1988. They were members of the United Methodist Church.
He was a great patriot. He lied about his age and joined the Army at 15 years old. As an infantryman, he earned a Combat Infantry Badge for action against the enemy at the Rhine. He also served in Central Europe and was decorated with a Good Conduct award, a WWll Victory Medal and an Army Occupation Medal. He had two (2) Bronze Battle Stars on his European Theater Ribbon.
After the war, he went to college, earned a Masters degree and was an Employee Relations Executive, Lighting Business Group, with General Electric. A loving family man of few words with a big heart.
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Roxanna Scales of Palm Harbor, FL; his children Tony (and Nancy), Ed (and Penny), Stuart, Roxanne; his brother Rev. Sherrill Scales; his grandchildren Travis, Jennifer, Matthew, Tyler; and his great-granddaughter, Hailey.
He will be buried at Bay Pines National Cemetery, 10000 Bay Pines Blvd., Bay Pines 33744 with full Military Honors. Please check back.
Friends are invited to sign his guestbook below and share a memory.
Great Father and Great American Patriot!!
Thank you for being My Father!!
Love
Tony
Tony, our deepest sympathy to your family. Did not know your Dad personally, but have been playing golf with your brother Ed weekly for the last several years. As a Vietnam Veteran and fellow patriot, I appreciate what your Dad did for his country. May God Bless you, your extended family and especially your Mom..
Sincerely,
Ric and Deborah
He was a great father-in-law. He was wonderful to his wife & children. Some of my fondest memories will be when Papa sang “Old Lang Sign” at a New Years dinner wearing his New Years hat. Sitting next to him at a Phillies game. He would wash all of our cars at any family function. He would clean the rims of the cars w/a tooth brush. Saw him one day cleaning the gutter w/a tooth brush. He adored music. We have many tapes/cds of the music he tapped for us. Will especially miss his phone calls to say”There is no hitter in the 9th inning” of some baseball game. I will also miss his hand shake. This is how we greeted each other. I love my Ohio State Shirt even though I am not an Ohio State fan. Papa painted our house. It is still that same color. He painted the inside of our pool cage. He enjoyed swimming. Will miss him swimming laps in our pool. A famous most wonderful memory when while Ed & I were trying to make a child & Papa was right behind Ed when Ed was only wearing a chef outfit. So Papa from the bottom of my heart I will miss you. GOD BLESS YOU! RIP!
Thanks for always being there for anyone of us. Thanks for your Army service.
Most recent things of “Dad” or “Papa” I will miss are watching the Rays play,
celebrating birthdays, holidays and watching Ohio State football.
From years past I have missed playing golf with you and putting up Christmas lights on
Thanksgiving day. Will continue the green, green and red color tradition Mom and you started
many years ago. Miss you coming over to go swimming and splitting a beer with you.
I never felt closer to you then I did while taking care of you while Mom had knee replacement surgery
and in your last couple weeks at home then Hospice. Happy to have been with you to comfort you.
Thank you for everything you have taught me. Will carry the lessons forward and share with others.
I love you Dad!
Dear Mrs. Scales, Tony, Ed, Stuart, and Roxanne,
I am very sorry to hear that Mr. Scales passed away. I will always remember his perpetual painting of your house, his love of golf and swimming, his calm/quiet demeanor, and the day when he took me along with Ed and Stuart to my first Ohio State football game in 1980. I can still hear the garage radio with those OSU games each Saturday in the fall all those years in Seven Hills.
I did not know the details of his WWII service until I read it here. How impressive! A true American patriot. I am glad I knew him for 20 years. I hope all of you are doing ok and always remember those great memories he gave you.
Love,
Gary and Celeste Kudej and family
Ed and Family,
Funny how fast life goes by. One moment our parents are waking us up, driving us to school and the bowling alley, then decades go by like days, and there’s tons of memories of them and their profound impact on our lives all being collected, compressed and compacted… and then they’re gone. The heartache is real, they’re irreplaceable, and yet we know they’re in a much better place.
Our Father’s passed a little over 5 months apart. They took us to an Indians game back in the Cub Scout days around 1970. I don’t recall the score, but we must have been losing badly as we were busy stomping on used cups in an effort to create noise. (-: At home, always a project oriented family man. A typical weekend day: A round of golf followed by some serious painting of the siding, then swimming with your family at Dorchester, and back home for a little more painting of the siding. (-: Painting was relaxation exercise, perhaps meditation, and most certainly enjoyment.
The best memories/moments were on a typical Summer Saturday or Sunday. Steak on the grill. He always said “NO A-1! it ruins the steak! :D Time for a break, a little siesta on his favorite hammock in the backyard while listening to John Philip Sousa and Marching band music or just the peace of wind in the trees. Next to him was a lunch plate. Until of course our German Sheppard, Rambo, who had an affinity for getting loose, ran over and snarfed down half his sandwich. I ran over, but it was too late. Your dad offered him the other half! LOL. :D
He will be sorely missed! Our thoughts and Prayers are with you and your family at this time.
Love,
Arlene & Jerry Matuska and Family
Ed,
After meeting you and your mom, I wish I had met your dad. It is hard to imagine that at 15 years old, he wanted to go in the Army and train to fight the Germans in WWll. And he did. And came home and built a life and a home for your mom and you. His story reminds me of the wonderful book “The Greatest Generation” God Bless his memory.
Jim Rudolph