Walter Williams Scott, Jr., MD, of Albany, N.Y., died Monday, Dec. 23, five days after his 56th birthday. He was Associate Professor of Surgery at Albany Medical College, Section of Thoracic Surgery at the time of his death.

Dr. Scott was the son of Walter and Vaughan Scott of Richmond. He is survived by his two children, Walter Williams Scott III and Leah Royster Scott; their mother, Angela Royster Scott; one sister, Mary Wingfield Scott of Richmond; her partner, Rusty Cadaret; a nephew, Robert Hargroves Walters; niece, Grace Vaughan Scott; and dear girlfriend, Anne Giaever. His mother and brother, John Wingfield Scott, predeceased him.

Known as Walkie to childhood friends, he was beloved for his adventurous and generous spirit and his talent for cultivating deep friendships. He graduated from St. Christopher’s School in 1982 and earned a B.A. in Religious Studies at the University of Virginia in 1986, where he was an Echols Scholar and a member of Sigma Phi. He completed the Vermont Paramedic Training Program in Brattleboro before entering the University of Virginia School of Medicine.

After graduating in 1992, Dr. Scott held residencies in general and cardiothoracic surgery at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. He held posts in Greenville, N.C., and Gainesville, Fla., before moving to St. Simons Island, Ga., where he continued his surgical practice in Brunswick.

When he relocated to Albany in 2015, he became a highly knowledgeable and passionate advocate of the benefits of robotic over traditional surgery and was a mentor to others. He quickly found friendship and respect within his new community, where he was recently awarded the Ally-Sheridan Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award at Albany Medical College.

A beloved member of the Gloucester Banks community, he enjoyed summers on the York River where he shared his love of boating, fishing, kayaking, cooking, and gathering friends over dinner on the screen porch or at the Urbanna Oyster Festival. An Eagle Scout, he also enjoyed backpacking, camping, scuba diving and snowmobiling.

Walter gave his time and expertise to the Boy Scouts of America, Hospice of the Golden Isles, Christ Church Frederica, and the Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad, among others. His loss is unfathomable to all who knew him.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 815 E Grace St, Richmond, Va. To those wishing to make memorial contributions, the family suggests MAP International at 4700 Glynco Parkway, Brunswick, GA 31525 or a charity of your choice.