Verna "Joan" Scott

Joan Scott October 07, 1938 – May 10, 2026 Joan Scott, 87, of Arab, Alabama, passed away peacefully on Sunday, May 10, 2026 — Mother's Day. There was no day that could have fit her better. Joan spent her life in Arab, Alabama, where she became one of its most beloved figures. A woman of faith, she lived out her beliefs through 66 remarkable years of service in the Arab school system. She began her teaching career in 1959 when Arab Elementary first opened its doors and spent four decades in the first-grade classroom before transitioning to serve as a reading specialist and Title I reading teacher. She officially retired in 2006 after 47 full-time years, but returned the very next year — part-time, but every single day — because she loved the children too much to stop. Over the course of her career, she helped generations of Arab families learn to read: children, their children, and in many cases their grandchildren. Thousands of children were taught to read by Mrs. Scott. In 2015, Arab named her Citizen of the Year, and there was really only one word for it: selflessness. That was Joan, through and through. She loved her family. She loved her friends. And when she wasn't in the classroom, she loved to travel — she made it to all 50 states and explored countries across the globe, always eager to see what was around the next corner. She poured her life out for children — giving, teaching, and nurturing them the way only a devoted mother can — living out the second greatest commandment one reading lesson at a time. To most she was a teacher. To many she was a mother figure. And to a lucky few, she was simply Nana. Joan was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Rayburn Scott; her mother, Verna Bailey; her brother and sister-in-law, Robert and Glenda Sue Bailey; her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Wayne and Dale Scott; and her niece, Lisa Scott. She is survived by her sister, Linda Shields; nieces, Jodie (Bill) Bradley and their children, Amy and her children, Pam Hawkins (Danny), Denielle Dunn (Craig) and their children, Shelly Tice (Chuck) and their children; great-nephews, Wes Trammell (Allison) and their daughter Eliza, and Scott Hawkins; and a host of others who loved her and considered her family. Funeral services will be held Thursday, May 14, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. at Arab Heritage Memorial Chapel, 1340 N. Main St., Arab, AL, with visitation beginning at 2:00 p.m. Clint Maze and Wes Trammell will officiate. Family burial will follow at Arab Memorial Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Scott Hawkins, Kane Brothers, Griffin Dunn, Sam Shields, Liam Bradley, and Ryne Parker. Honorary Pallbearers will be Gary Umphrey and Charlie Powell. Arab Heritage Memorial Chapel is honored to assist the family with arrangements. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Joan's memory to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library — a cause close to Joan's heart — at https://donate.imaginationlibrary.com/

Verna "Joan" Scott

October 7, 1938 - May 10, 2026