Chilkat Valley News - Serving Haines and Klukwan, Alaska since 1966

Former Mayor and teacher Stephanie Scott, 75, died peacefully from brain cancer Feb. 23 in Port Townsend, Washington surrounded by old friends and her children Reed, Heron and Joshua, who was her primary caregiver. There will be a celebration of her life in Haines this June.

"The pinnacle of my life was becoming and being a parent. I didn't plan it. I didn't aspire to it. But it was the best time of my life, " Scott told the Chilkat Valley News in 2012 after being elected Mayor.

After she lost a 2014 re-election bid for Mayor she noted, "I am drawn to community service...as a moth is to flame," she wrote in a letter to the editor.

She went on to serve as both an appointed and elected assembly member and during her final term was Deputy Mayor. A 2020 Borough resolution recognizing her contributions reads in part:

"Stephanie's intelligence, thoughtfulness, hard work and understanding of the code all contributed to both the evolution of the Haines Borough and her success as a community leader. With her emphasis on civility and inquiring mind she was a role model for other public officials."

Scott often cited P.M. Forni's book "Choosing Civility: The Twenty-Five Rules of Considerate Conduct" and gave copies to assembly members.

"Stephanie didn't advocate for any special interests. The work she did for the community was about finding the common good," said former borough manager Debra Schnabel.

Beth MacCready said that her longtime friend was joyful, fearless and able to leave borough business behind after meetings.

For neighbor George Figdor, Scott was "the ultimate life-long learner." Some of her roles were pizza parlor accountant, Lamaze childbirth instructor, editor, grant manager, social worker, and chair of a Borough energy task force. She learned Braille, became a master gardener and was a founding member of Haines Friends of Recycling and the Haines Farmers Market. She volunteered for Hospice of Haines.

Her dogs were notoriously misbehaved, but mostly loveable. She did yoga and enjoyed weekly dinner and movie nights with friends, especially sci-fi, Perry Mason re-runs and CSI.

A practicing Buddhist, Scott meditated regularly and studied death and dying.

"Stephanie was intellectually fascinated by the brain as long we've known her; learning all aspects of its function. True to form, she donated her body to the University of Washington so that students could look at her brain," friend Tim June said.

Stephanie Scott was born in 1947 in Atlantic City, New Jersey to Quakers Joseph and Carol (Kaighn) Scott. She grew up with three siblings in Monmouth County, sailing and water-skiing. In 1965 she graduated from Westtown School, a Quaker boarding school in Pennsylvania. While not a Quaker, she lived by the Quaker tenet of seeking the divine in all people. "You can't discount anybody because you don't know where the truth lies," Scott said.

She studied philosophy and dance at George Washington University in Washington D.C. "Much to her father's disappointment," according to daughter Reed Scott-Schwalbach. He cut her off financially, forcing her to make her own way in the world. After graduating from George Washington in 1970 she attended the Boston Conservatory to study dance. She volunteered to teach a movement therapy class for deaf children and a new course was set. She earned a scholarship and completed a master's degree in special education at Temple University in Philadelphia. Her first job was at a school for emotionally disturbed, sometimes violent, deaf and hard of hearing boys.

She met Bob Schwalbach at Frog Run Farm commune in Vermont. He had worked as a firefighter in Alaska and hoped to return. Stephanie landed a teaching job in Haines, so in 1973 they drove across the country in a Volkswagen Beetle with dog Sigmund, two cats, a guitar and a credit card. Upon arrival they learned of a "morality clause" in her contract, meaning that she couldn't teach and live with Bob unless they got married, so they did.

The Scott-Schwalbachs were part of the group that formed the Kochu Cove Land Trust on the Chilkat Peninsula. They lived on the former Mud Bay Road homestead in a 10-foot yurt and spent years building a passive solar home. "I can't over emphasize how rural it was. No power, no water, no phones, no four-wheel drives," and the main road was dirt, Cove neighbor Figdor said.

After her children were born, she stayed home, became a La Leche League breast-feeding advocate and with neighbor Bobbi Figdor formed the Kochu Cove School to homeschool eight children living on or near the property.

When the Haines Borough was incorporated in 1977, she became the clerk. She hired Sue Nelson in 1978. "It was a delight to work with her. She was very organized, very knowledgeable and open. She was such an inclusive person." Nelson said. She was in awe of Scott's "modern day pioneer women skills, the kids, hauling water, the kerosene lamps." She said that the petite "dynamo" split all of her firewood until her final illness.

Scott spent 1986-89 in Saipan helping to expand special education programs. She completed the coursework for a PhD in special education at Vanderbilt University but returned home to Haines when her marriage ended.

Scott taught special education from 1993 to 2004 in the Haines Borough School District. She retired in May 2004 and was elected to the borough assembly for the first time that fall.

When Jim and Janice Studley needed a teacher for their blind and hard of hearing daughter Nicole, "Stephanie came out of retirement to take on the task," Jim said. She was an, "exceptional, holistic teacher that integrated Nikki's physical, emotional, mental and imaginative sides."

In 2017, with her cancer in remission, Scott returned to public service because, she told friends, that's what she loved. She was appointed to fill a vacated seat and ran again and served for three more years. She concurrently operated Outlier Farm in Kochu Cove, growing exceptional dahlias and other flowers that she delivered weekly to homes, vacation rentals and boats as "the flower fairy."

She leaves children Reed (Chris) Scott-Schwalbach, Joshua Scott and Heron (Tara) Scott-Schwalbach; former husband Bob Schwalbach (Jude), and siblings Cynthia and J.D. Scott. Her sister Barbara Scott preceded her in death.

Memorial donations may be made to the Chilkat Valley Community Foundation at Chilkatvalleycf.org or at P.O. Box 1117, Haines, AK. 99827 or Hospice of Haines at P.O. Box 1034.