Roy Exum: Great Work, Ol’ Pro!

  • Saturday, April 18, 2015
  • Roy Exum
Roy Exum
Roy Exum

Years ago I was lucky enough to be the seatmate of Scotty Probasco on an airplane bound for somewhere and he taught me a word that has helped me be a much better person than I ever thought I could. We were already swell friends, since he’d watched me grow up at First Presbyterian Church every Sunday with his kids, and he liked some of the stuff I tried to write back then.

So about halfway to wherever that plane was going, Scotty got a pensive look on his ever handsome face and said, “You mind if I give you a tip? I want to give you one word.

And if you’ll focus on it, I promise it will serve you well.”

Scotty reached down in his satchel, got out his Bible and turned to the Book of Psalms. He handed his well-worn Bible to me, pointed to Chapter 145 and said, “Read the first verse.” It was King David giving praise to the Lord almighty. “I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.”

“Extol people, Roy. Always extol people,” said the Greatest Extoller Who Ever Lived. If Scotty yelled “Great work” at people once, he did it a gazillion times, and ain’t it special and grand, that when he went to heaven sometime in his sleep early Saturday morning, his Jesus looked him right in the eye and extoled Scotty with the words he’s wanted to hear all of his fun-filled life, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

I can say, without pause, that Scott L. Probasco Jr., did as much or more for the people and the city of Chattanooga than any other human that ever lived. His grandfather, Harry Scott Probasco, founded the American National Bank in the late 1800s and his father, “Scott the Senior,” founded the SunTrust Bank. Because of their wisdom, Scotty was set to become the greatest philanthropist in the South, outside his dearest friend, the late Jack Lupton who, just so you’ll know, was married to Scotty’s ever-beautiful sister, Alice.

The city of Chattanooga could never repay Jack and Scotty for what they have done but the far-bigger ticket would be for what they created, nurtured, and instilled in virtually every citizen. Why is it Chattanooga is considered one of the most philanthropic cities in the world? Look no further than The Extoller. Great work!

Way back when I was a kid, the thing that impressed me most about Scotty was that he “never wore it on his shoulder.” I’ve studied a lot of rich kids and remember some you couldn’t wait to paste in football practice. But if I were a betting man, I’d wager the Probascos were well-schooled around the dinner table to “treat others like Christ would” and to always be humble and thankful. It was genuine, too.

Anyone who knows his wife, Betty, can attest she is the most humble athlete they have ever met, this despite the fact she has won more golf championsips than any other woman alive. Once I covered a Women’s City tournament and asked a close friend what it was like to play her. That girl said simply, “It is the first time in my life it was thrilling to get beat.”

Let me tell you something else. There will be those at his funeral who will say there will never be another like him. While Scotty was indeed a character, I can name four right now. I know each of them and they are each exactly like their dad. Well, so close it is spooky, but so far I haven’t had a one sidle up like Scotty used to do and stage-whisper, “I’ll trade you a funny story for one of your cigars!” How great is that!

Now, you want the real skinny? Scotty’s grandfather and his father were both mainstays in the First Presbyterian Church. “Scott the Senior” (don’t worry, I never called him that to his face) died in 1962, when I was barely a teenager but not before I got to know him. And, because I have “inside knowledge,” we have to go back to the Great Depression of 1929 when a youthful James L. Fowle was called as the pastor of the church.

“Doctor Fowle” was the greatest fund-raiser in Chattanooga. You name it – the YMCA, the Red Cross, and much more. Dr. Fowle fathered 13 area Presbyterian churches, from Brainerd to Red Bank to Ringgold to East Ridge. How do you think he did that? I’ll tell you exactly how it was done – with Scotty Probasco.

I have heard Scotty say, on more than one occasion, that Dr. Fowle was a huge and influential presence in his life. I suspect that was by design. Scotty was 37 when his dad died and while he was already very much “his own man,” he was smart enough to know he needed a navigator and a co-pilot.

The navigator was Dr. Fowle, and as he told John Shearer in a Chattanoogan.com interview last year, “I’m a very happy person. I get down every once in a while, but I don’t stay down long. That’s because I have two things in my life,” he said, “I love people and I love The Big Man – the Lord.”

In that interview, John asked Scotty why he never stopped being a cheerleader after leading the Yell Team at Dartmouth. “It was fun because you try to get people steamed up over a subject, and I’ve done that all my life.”

I’ve seen him in action, have I ever. Whether it was the Missions Budget at First Pres, the United Way’s annual appeal or helping Jack build our world-renowned “Fish Tank,” Scotty was a master. Add his pals Tommy Lupton, the Davenport boys, Rich Moore’s sons and a long list of characters, he was invincible. And how? The Great Extoller made you feel 10 feet tall when you signed on with him, no matter the project or the goal.

I’d heard a couple of months ago he had a bad fall in Florida but had finally gotten home and was eager for the spring. Last year in the Shearer interview, Scotty told John how thankful he was that he had been able to leave a positive mark beside his name and had lived longer than he thought he would. “It has been a great pleasure. The Lord has truly blessed me.”

This morning, as I sat on my porch with my newspaper and my coffee, I heard the ambulance come for Scotty. I’d have given anything to see the crowd at heaven’s gate – Dr. Fowle, Jack and Tommy, the Moores, Ben Haden, and a huge crowd of others, all chanting like winning teams do at football games, “Great Work! … Great Work! … Great Work!” this, seconds before Scotty would see Jesus and hear Him say, “Well done …”

Scotty Probasco extolled people. And because of the way he lived a full 86 years, I will carry that word in my soul forever because, the very best that ever was at it, was once kind enough to teach me what it really means.

A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, at First Presbyterian Church with Pastor Tim Tinsley officiating. There will be a private family burial. 

The family will receive friends at the Mountain City Club after the service.

royexum@aol.com

Scott L. "Scotty" Probasco Jr.
Scott L. "Scotty" Probasco Jr.
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