By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Charles William “PeeWee” Scott was a witty and caring family man who was “always in good spirits,” and will be “greatly missed,” said his great nephew.

Scott, who was born on Feb. 19, 1931, passed away Sept. 3, 2011, after battling a brief illness. Scott’s son, Gene Scott, owned Pee Wee’s Pawn Shop near the Chandalar subdivision in Pelham, and named the store after Charles Scott.

Gene Scott died in a 2011 plane crash in Birmingham’s East Lake neighborhood.

Daryl Payton, Charles Scott’s great nephew and a manager at Pee Wee’s Pawn, called him a “good, hard-working man.”

“He was as nice a man as you could have ever met,” Payton said. “He was definitely a good family man, and he will be missed by a bunch of family and friends.”

Payton said Charles Scott was “always in good spirits,” and “always had a smile on his face.”

“He was a family man, honest and hard-working. I’m sure anyone you talked to would tell you the same thing,” Payton said. “Most people, after meeting him for the first time, remembered him.”

Charles Scott was preceded in death by his wife of more than 50 years, Lillie Louise Hughes Scott, his daughter, Deborah Jo Scott Sides, and his son, William Eugene Scott.

Charles Scott and Louise were the proud parents of six children; the remaining four living children are Sharon Scott Chapman, Barbara Scott Brantley, Steve Randall Scott (Teresa) and Nancy Scott Fricke (Robert Baker).

Charles and Louise Scott’s grandchildren are Kenny Sides (Rebecca), Scotty Chapman (Lucy), Casy and Julie Chapman, Erica Scott Neel (Preston), Bethany Scott, Justin and Brianna Scott and Kyle Fricke. Great-grandchildren are Kalee Sides and Vera Louise Neel, and Charles Scott leaves a host of family and friends.

Charles Scott spent most of his adult life providing for his family as a long-distance truck driver for American Freight Company. He made many lifelong friends before retiring in 1986.

PeeWee worked as a pawnbroker for about 15 years before also retiring from his second career. He was instrumental in starting Pee Wee’s Pawn. Cash Depot in Pelham was also founded and operated by him.

In his later years, PeeWee enjoyed fishing and hunting with his family and friends. Among his favorite trips were the ones he took to Alaska for salmon fishing and Mexico for freshwater fishing there. He also enjoyed traveling with his family members to countries such as Italy and Israel.

He was a lover of gardening and the delicious bounty he yielded right in his own back yard. PeeWee delighted those close to him this year by making a hot pepper vinegar sauce for greens and beans.

One of his favorite pastimes during his adulthood was playing pool.

He particularly enjoyed the gathering of family and extended family at Thanksgiving, Christmas and the Scott family reunion in July of each year.