Helen Neale “Quasi” Scotty (nee Lawson), 90, longtime resident of Oak Park, died on Feb. 10, 2021. Born on Jan. 6, 1931, she grew up the youngest of four in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood. She spent 16 years at St. Xavier schools. From the beginning, family meant the world to her, whether they were siblings, elders, cousins, children, nieces, nephews, or grandkids. She always made others feel special and emphasized the importance of family.
After marrying Jim Scotty and starting their family in Cincinnati (three kids) and moving to Boston for a decade (seven more), they moved to south Oak Park, to a Gunderson house located halfway between her two sisters’ family homes. There she managed the joyful chaos of raising her own family and becoming a volunteer extraordinaire, mostly at Ascension School and Church. She later taught first grade and shifted her volunteering focus to the Economy Shop.
Her greatest accomplishment is the legacy of her family. She showed how to love, to have compassion, and to forgive. She also showed how to have fun and to never take yourself too seriously.
Quasi is survived by her children, J. Neale (Sue), Sharon (Dave) Holland, Mike (Amy), Kate (Elias) Zavala, Brian (Barb), Meg (Guy) Larson, Tom (Carol), Matt (Donna), Madolyn (Kevin) Trant, and Sean (Jocelyn); her grandchildren, Alec and Chris Scotty, Dan and Mark (Britta) Holland, Jack (fiancée Alex Morocco) and Meghan (fiancé Pat Nolan) Scotty, Joel and Luke (Steffani) Zavala, Ben and Suzy Scotty, Casey and Cara Larson, Alex, Seamus and Finn Scotty, Emma, Katherine, Lizzie and Anne Scotty, Cailyn and Declan Trant, and Maxine Scotty; and great-grandchildren Jimmy Holland and Kaylee Zavala. Her husband Jim preceded her in death.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Ascension Church, Oak Park, or the Alzheimer’s Association.
Services will be held at a later date when reduced restrictions will allow for a proper celebration of this great woman’s life. Toodle-oo!
Arrangements were handled by Drechsler, Brown & Williams Funeral Home.
