Name Don Scott Role Boxer | Died March 1, 2013 Martial art Boxing | |
Olympic medals Boxing at the 1948 Summer Olympics – Men's light heavyweight | ||
Don Scott (23 July 1928 – 13 February 2013) was a boxer from Great Britain, who competed in the Light Heavyweight division during his career as an amateur.
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Biography
Born Donald E. Scott in Derby in 1928, he began boxing at age 12 at the Arboretum Boxing Club. He attended Pear Tree School, He attended night school at Bemrose School to take English & Math GCSE at the age of 59. He wife Doreen died in 2004, He has a daughter named Sue and a son named Paul, He has two grandchildren named Simon and Adam, and great-grandson named William, whom he met William three days before he died. He was chosen to carry the Olympic torch though Derby on 29 June 2012.
Amateur career
Scott represented his native country at the 1948 Summer Olympics, and won the silver medal at Light Heavyweight. He subsequently won the Empire Games gold medal in Auckland in 1950. He served in the Royal Military Police during national service. In his autobiography, the famous boxing referee Harry Gibbs claimed to have fought Scott and won during their military service. Scott had no recollection of the bout; Gibbs is adamant that Scott was a serving soldier in the Brigade of Guards so it is possibly a namesake.
He boxed professionally as a heavyweight and was managed by Bob Curley. He was a big enough name from his amateur career to box in London at the Albert Hall. His professional career was not as successful as his amateur. On his retirement from the ring he was involved in retail management. He continued his interest in boxing in the Derby area and was involved in coaching. He regularly attended both amateur and professional boxing events in Derby and preferred to sit quietly at the back rather than be presented in the ring.
Death
Scott resided in Derby until his death on 16 February 2013. He lived at Arboretum House for three and a half years before moving to Lavender Lodge Nursing Home three weeks before he died of heart failure at the age of 84.