James Garner Scott

Mr. James Garner “Jamie” Scott died on Wednesday, April 8, 2026. Born on March 26, 1971, in Woodstock, Ontario, Canada, he was the son of the late Joseph Garner Scott and Ann Marie McNamara Scott.

Jamie moved with his family from Canada to South Carolina when he was an infant and Columbia was the only hometown he knew. He was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church where he received his First Communion, was confirmed and served as an altar boy. He attended Fairwold School and graduated when he was 21 years old. Jamie’s first job was at Columbia Bagel in Trenholm Plaza until the joined the family business, Pioneer Machinery. Jamie worked at Pioneer Machinery for 20 years assisting in the parts department and working in the warehouse. One of his duties was reading long VIN numbers to restock parts and his parts always made it to the correct bin. He was beloved by his coworkers and took great pride in his work. Once he retired, he volunteered at the Shandon Methodist church kitchen, at Harvest Hope Food Bank and with Historic Columbia in the gardens.

Jamie loved sports and was always the manager of his brother Stephen’s teams while he competed at Cardinal Newman. He loved college football and through the years supported Georgia, Georgia Tech and Clemson but most of all the Alabama Crimson Tide and never the Carolina Gamecocks. He loved NASCAR and would meticulously make a list of the qualifying times each weekend to see where his favorite drivers would start. Jamie and his father traveled all over the Southeast to catch the NASCAR races. He loved watching WWE and was able to attend several bouts through the years with his family. He was a great bowler and competed in bowling in the Special Olympics. He was given the honor of helping to carry the Special Olympics torch to the South Carolina State Capitol as it passed through Columbia. He had a one handed jump shot in basketball that could not be beaten in the game of HORSE. He adored swimming , carrot cake and the soap opera General Hospital. He looked forward every fall to riding the rides with his nieces and nephews at the SC State Fair. He loved spending time at his happy place on Sullivan’s Island with his mom and their beloved dogs through the years: Bailey, Finnegan and now Baxter.

But Jamie’s greatest love was people. He had a twinkle in his eye, a mischievous sense of humor, and a wonderful memory. This meant he would draw you in as a friend, would never forget you and would tease you goodheartedly always. When you had a friend in Jamie, he was your friend for life. Jamie loved to have a good time and his belly laugh was loud and contagious. Being born with Down Syndrome never limited Jamie’s ability to live a full life, but rather allowed him to be one of the special few on this earth who was always his authentic self. Jamie was never expected to live to see his first birthday but he defied those odds and continued to achieve many amazing things throughout his life.

He is survived by his mother, Ann Marie Scott, who was Jamie’s champion and steadfast loving supporter for his entire life. He is also survived by his sister Jackie Howie (Tige), brother Stephen Scott (Amy), sister Christine Scott, and nieces and nephews that he adored: Kathryn Ann Scott, Matthew Scott, Brady Scott, Dry Howie and Chloe Howie, aunts and uncles and cousins and many, many friends. Finally, he is survived by Abigail James who was by Jamie’s side loving and caring for him for six years. She is a an angel to our family.

In addition to his father he was predeceased by his grandparents Carman and Marie Scott, and Parnell and Maria McNamara.

A funeral mass will be held at 11 o’clock on Monday, April 20, 2026 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 3700 Devine Street, Columbia, SC. A reception will be held following the service at the church. A private family burial will follow the service in Greenlawn Memorial Park.

The family requests memorials to be made to Special Olympics South Carolina or Aldersgate Special Needs Ministry in honor of Jamie.

Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel is assisting the family.