Bruce Scott respected all people he dealt with, says his daughter. Photo/File
Rotorua's Bruce Scott once told the Rotorua Daily Post his philosophy was "to leave this world a little better than when you arrived".
Mr Scott, RVM, OBE, a former police assistant commissioner who was heavily involved in the community, died on Wednesday a month short of his 77th birthday. According to family, he spent a lifetime living that philosophy by serving others.
"My dad was a very humble and very modest man. He would give you the shirt off his back or the last dollar in his wallet," Mr Scott's daughter, Vivienne Scott, told the Rotorua Daily Post.
"He spent a lifetime serving, not for any reason other than he loved people, he was in his element surrounded by others and all were treated equally.
"It didn't matter whether the person was the local service station attendant, the Queen of England or anyone in between - everyone was treated with respect."
She said Mr Scott had high expectations of himself and his family.
"He wanted to be the best person he could be and he taught his children to want the same thing. He was a man of action, not a man of words, and would always walk the talk he did speak."
She said he had been involved with many clubs and organisations over the years, including after his retirement.
"He spent a lot of time within Rotary, he was part of GSA Rotorua, and he was a Justice of the Peace and also chairman of the Bay of Plenty Neighbourhood Support Committee.
"He was also chairman of SeniorNet and I was his secret IT tutor," she laughed. "I'd teach him something new and he's go to a SeniorNet session and impress everyone with his knowledge."
Ms Scott said her dad was never about big cars, or big houses, or money - he was about serving others.
"But family always came first. Dad was the solid rock of our family but I do feel that he touched the lives of so many people his legacy really does live on."
Born in Wellington, Mr Scott became a Cub Scout at the age of 8. He said it was his involvement within the scouting movement that gave him leadership skills. At the end of his school years, he applied to become a police cadet before embarking on an OE.
Topping his wing at Police College, Mr Scott was given police station chores after graduation as he hadn't reached the then prerequisite age of 19. One of the chores was as a court orderly at the same time his father was the police prosecutor.
By 21 Mr Scott was in the Criminal Investigation Branch and, eight years later, a detective inspector.
In 1989 he was posted to Rotorua as the police regional commander and, at the same time, he took up the assistant commissioner assignment.
He retired in Rotorua in 1999 and then spent eight years as deputy chief scout (only the Governor General ranks higher) of Scouting New Zealand, renewed a love affair with the Scottish pipes and played a round of golf when time allowed.
He is survived by his wife, Janice, his four children, Alistair, Helen, Vivienne, and Claire, and seven grandchildren. A service for Mr Scott will be held at the Sir Howard Morrison Performing Arts Centre on Monday at 1pm.
BRUCE SCOTT
Born: Wellington, 1940
Education: Karori West Primary, Wellington College, Police College as cadet
Royal Honours: Royal Victorian Medal for personal services to the Queen during 1970 Royal tour, Order of the British Empire awarded in 1993 for services to police and scouting
Interests and community involvement: Justice of the Peace, former elder Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, Past Master Arawa Masonic Lodge, secretary of the local retired police group, committee member Rotorua branch Superannuitants Association and Rotorua Orchid Society, SeniorNet trustee, former member Rotorua Golf Club men's committee, keen gardener and landscaper
Philosophy: "To give back some of the benefits you get out of life. As Baden Powell put it 'to leave this world a little better than when you arrived'.