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When We Were Young
2/28/08
My high school friend from HOMEROOM, retired Austin cop
Randy Malone emailed me that Scotty Senter had passed away from cancer on Monday 2/25/08. My mind instantly took me
back to some Reagan Raider football playoff game where Scotty was on defense and he intercepted a PITCH to an opposing team's
halfback and ran it back for a touchdown.
Seriously folk, in all my years of watching all the games,
I have yet to ever see a play so masterfully completed. It was a work of art for us and a nightmare for the other team,
for it changed the momentum AND the score. We won State.
In school Scotty was a good friend to ME. You need to remember that in
the late 60's and very early 70's although we were integrated there was a lot of behind the scenes prejudice going on.
And I mean a whole lot of racism but still I know from the friends that I made few were fake whatever their ethnicity.
What "color" is a friend? Was that too course? Too bad...
I don't pull any punches about race.
Scotty was OK and so were Randy and Johnny Lee for that matter too.
We all had so much fun in high school and beyond that even if I told you the stories you probably wouldn't believe it really
went down that way. So I will just leave it to memory for those of us who are left.
Naturally when I think about Reagan Football I think about my good friend
Waymon Clark. Man... Watching Waymon run the ball made watching Marcus Allen or OJ look like they were standing still.
Unfortunately even as great as he was he never achieved the fame he so richly deserved with his talent. Why
not? Because he had also a talent of choosing the wrong paths and getting into trouble.
I honor all my friends regardless of their choices, trouble
or not. Don't ever let it be said that I failed to acknowledge any friend of mine because of the mistakes either
of us made. (Yes I am talking about someone else but cannot say... He knows who he is and if not, keep reading
my site for I am certain I will breach the subject some time or another.)
The other day I stopped by Ernest Brown's business @ 1300 Rosewood where
he sells cellphones and stuff and we talked about the good old days with Scotty and Waymon. Man I wish we could
get all MY friends together for a reunion before I go completely blind... I mean ALL of them... People like:
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William Thayer who lives in a nursing home in Houston. He is pretty sick
but also pretty surrounded by what is left of his family and what I hear... doted on by the nurses. Pre-heavanish state
of denial?
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Willis Hunt who is running his dad's real estate company on 12th Street
after being AWOL from us all for over 30 years
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Herman Alexander who went to Anderson
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Johnny Robinson who is a retiree living in Portland
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Bill Kirk who is a big shot lawyer in DC
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Boo King who is helping run his family business King-Tears Mortuary
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Lawrence Brittain who was an administrator at Reagan last time I checked
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William Brooks, former pro footballer who has a heart of gold
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Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson, greatest Dallas Cowboy I ever knew who
is trying to play eccentric but he cannot fool me because I know him too well
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Harold Lightner who has spent most of his life incarcerated
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Ollie Hatch who is selling insurance in CA
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Oris Winn who last worked for the USPS and I lost contact with
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Michael Medearis who was my good friend and changed when he got religious...
don't we all?
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Rodney Wormley who works for AT&T and I see the few times either of
us go to church
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Tommy Ezell who changed his name after he went to LA... What's that all
about anyway?
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Adolphus "Sneaky" Darby who earned that nickname from me
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and Lexie Delco, another best friend that disappeared on me somehow.
I know I am dreaming. These people are important to ME but
they probably aren't thinking about me the same way. The question is, is that my problem or theirs?
OK, I digressed enough. Here's Scotty's OBITUARY.
Scotty David Senter
Mar. 26, 1953 - Feb. 25, 2008 Scotty Senter,
age 54, passed away peacefully at his Austin home surrounded by his loving family. During the past 16 months,
Scotty was made acutely aware of the alarming number of people battling cancer with little or no hope for a cure. His fight
with cancer made him a stronger person and deepened his faith. A native Austinite, Scotty was born on March 26, 1953 at Brackenridge Hospital.
He graduated from Reagan High School
in 1971, where he played on the 1970 State Championship Football Team. Scotty received a degree in Business Management, with
honors, from Park College.
In 1977 Scotty moved to Las Vegas, Nevada
where he worked as Asst. Hotel Manager at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino. He made many new lifelong friends at the MGM and
also met the love of his life, Truda. They were married in 1981 in an intimate ceremony at the Little Chapel of the West on
the famous Las Vegas Strip. Scotty returned to Austin with
Truda and daughter Shannon in 1988 and began work immediately at the Texas Department of Insurance, Consumer Protection Program.
Scotty could never have endured the past year without the exceptional care given to him by his loving wife, Truda, his devoted
daughter, Shannon, and faithful family and friends and co-workers. Many of Scotty's childhood friends, classmates, and teammates
remained his dearest friends throughout life and he cherished the bond they shared. The family would like to thank Bill Greif
and Cancer Connection, Hospice Austin, and Pastor Dave Peters for their compassionate support. In addition to his wife of
26 years, Truda, and daughter, Shannon Hall, Scotty also leaves behind his son-in-law, Tim Hall and grandson, Logan, his "best
friend"; his mother, Marcie Reynolds and stepfather, Robert A. Reynolds; his father, Dr. Jerald R. Senter and stepmother,
Joy Senter; twin brother Sandy and his wife, Rita; brother Jerry and his wife, Kathleen; brother Mike and his wife, Cecil;
stepsister Marrie Aldridge and her husband, Lance; nieces Brittany, Sarah, and Audrey Senter; and nephew Andrew Senter. The
family will receive friends from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 27, 2008 at Cook-Walden Funeral Home. A
celebration of Scotty's life will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 28, 2008 at the funeral home. Interment to follow
at Austin Memorial Park.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Round Rock YMCA, 1812 N. Mays St., Round Rock, TX 78664; Round Rock
Presbyterian Church, 4010 Sam Bass Rd., Round Rock, TX 78681; or Hospice Austin, 4107 Spicewood Springs Rd #100, Austin, TX
78759 are appreciated.
Rest In Peace My Old Friend
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