Scott’s mother has always said, “Scotty was born with a smile.” And that is how Scott’s friends and family remember him: the guy with an infectious smile and an exuberant personality. His smile, his warmth and his genuine interest in others, made an impact on everyone who ever met him.
Scott grew up in Saratoga, California. After attending college at Chico State and having a life-altering experience in Mexico, he headed north to Alaska in 1973. He wanted to get a mining claim and become a gold miner, but with a baby on the way and the cohos running, he quickly changed career paths and became a commercial fisherman, something he had great passion for. Scott and his partner, Amy Limber, settled in the small fishing village of Port Alexander and had two children, Lael and Sasha. Scott quickly outgrew his 16-foot Poulsbo skiff and upgraded to larger boats. He loved adventure, risk and the prospect of a new fishery. He fished as far north as Kodiak and as far south as the “Roaring Forties” in the Southern Hemisphere. A crewman summarized Scott this way; “A gentleman, a great skipper, physically strong as a bull but completely unassuming. His laughter was spring-loaded. He was as brave as any person could be, and once again has broke trail for all of us.”
Scott met his wife Kathleen in Port Alexander in the summer of 1981. Kathleen was enchanted with Scott’s beautiful smile and vibrant life force. Shortly after meeting, the two left Sitka and headed down the coast at eight knots in the F/V Seaward, Scott’s 46-foot wooden fishing boat. They were chasing the elusive albacore tuna and eventually landed at San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf. That was the beginning of Scott and Kathleen’s 39-year love affair. The two adored one another and enjoyed doing most everything together.
Scott and Kathleen fished and tendered for the next 20 years. After retiring from fishing, Scott migrated to Southern Baja to windsurf, but he soon tired of the coast and moved inland purchasing a large, remote rancho in the Sierra de la Laguna, a landscape rich in endemic plant and animal species. They lived off grid and built structures out of native materials. Scott planted and nurtured an orchard of avocado, mango and citrus trees, he was especially proud of his avocado crop. He and Kathleen created a refuge for wildlife and native plants by fencing out the free-ranging livestock and protecting the rich biodiversity of this mountain region.
In the last five years, Scott and Kathleen bought and refurbished a boat and went back to fishing halibut in Southeast Alaska. They enjoyed getting back in touch with their fishing roots, but mostly just loved being back on the water among humpback whales and sea otters.
Scott and Kathleen loved all of their rescued street dogs, but Scott was especially fond of his doggie soul mate, Bobo. The two were inseparable, doing everything together until Bobo died in 2019.
Scott is survived by his mother Pat Landis; brother Rick Landis (Cynthia Landis); sister Claudia Landis (Bruce Watson); daughter Lael Limber (Gil Miracle); son Sasha Landis; grandchildren Caelen and Kora Miracle; and his beloved wife, Kathleen Mitchell, still “crazy in love” with Scott after all these years.
Scott’s wife would like to thank Dr. Umberto Orazi, Dr. Kurt Norman and the staff at Jefferson Healthcare’s Oncology Clinic and Home Health and Hospice, for the wonderful care that Scott received in their capable and compassionate hands.
If you wish to make a donation in memory of Scott, please consider one of the local nonprofits he cared about: Jefferson Land Trust, PT Marine Science Center, NW Watershed Institute, NW Wooden Boat School, Housing Solutions Network, Olympic Mountain Pet Pals.
