Columbus lost one of her biggest fans Thursday afternoon.
Scotty Daniels, 45, a community activist and former radio personality known across the country as “Scotty D,” died Thursday of undetermined causes.
“It”s still under investigation,” Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant noted of Daniels” death, which he said showed no signs of foul play.
Daniels had “some ongoing health issues,” Merchant said, noting he was found around 5 p.m. in his home.
The last reported contact with Daniels was between 3 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Merchant added, explaining he planned to interview Daniels” physician and complete other steps before determining a cause of death.
Born in Jasper, Ala., Daniels graduated from high school in Birmingham, Ala., then served from 1982 to 1988 in the U.S. Army Reserve.
In the meantime, at the age of 13, he began his radio career, entering the television industry when he was 24 years old.
After helping to start a radio station in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Daniels came to Columbus, where he co-hosted a morning radio show and later came to be known for his tireless promotion of his beloved city, Columbus, and her people.
“Scotty was a really good friend and he”s going to be missed in this community,” said Columbus Police Chief Joseph St. John, noting Daniels planned to join a Citizens Police Academy class in April. “Scotty was always there for the department, whenever we needed him.”
“What a great friend!” Nancy Carpenter, project manager of the Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau, said of Daniels. “He was a great friend to the arts and to athletics and to, certainly, the veterans. I”ve never seen a person who was so multi-faceted.”
Daniels served on the steering committee of the Decorative Arts And Preservation Forum Antique Show and Sale in November and, simultaneously, hosted the Columbus Veteran”s Day parade, among other activities.
“He did a fabulous job,” Carpenter said. “He wanted to do whatever was needed. At the same time he was hosting our events, he was hosting the Veterans” Day parade and he did them both flawlessly. He was such a friend to Columbus. He loved this city and we all loved him.”
She was “shocked and saddened” at the news of his death, she added.
“But we had a lot of wonderful conversations, about everything from religion and politics to the military,” she recalled. “We will greatly miss him at the CVB. He attended all of our tourism partner meetings and he made it very clear he was there for everybody and not just one group. It”s really hard to lose a friend and when you lose a friend and volunteer, it”s that much harder.”
“Scotty was one of the kindest, sweetest, most helpful people that I knew,” said former Ward 2 Councilwoman Susan Mackay, who worked with Daniels on printing Veterans Day parade items and other projects. “His humor abounds and I will miss him greatly. When he walked into a room, he brought such joy to everyone around and he”ll be greatly missed by many.
“He was into so many projects,” she continued. “He just loved the Police Department and helped through many things that they did. He volunteered for Main Street Columbus at many events. There were so many projects that Scotty worked on that people just did not know about. He just helped in so many ways to make Columbus better.”
“To me, he is what we would call a true volunteer,” said Jan Miller of the Mississippi Main Street Association. “He was someone who would do anything, at any time, and really make the best of a hard situation. He is a treasure and we”re going to really miss him. Volunteers are hard to find and good ones are really hard to find.”
“Scotty D was all about being a part of this community,” said Meagan Coughlin of the Community Volunteer Center. “He wanted to help; he wanted to help his friends and colleagues. He volunteered when he was asked and he volunteered, when he wasn”t asked.”
“He was obviously a wonderful friend for Columbus,” said Melissa Cook of the Columbus-Lowndes Development Link. “But he was a big supporter for the Link and the work that we do. He always was more than willing to let us come on his (radio) show and talk about what we were doing and offer any kind of support that he absolutely could. We will definitely miss him.”
“He was one of those who was strong and willing to do what you needed him to do,” Miller added. “A true community player, he wanted to be part of the community and showed his community spirit in everything.”
“Due to the loss of so many of my close family members, it has been hard for me to find a place that feels like home,” Daniels said in February 2009, referring to the earlier deaths of his brother, at the age of 34, and his mother, at the age of 54. “I have found that to a large degree here (in Columbus), with so many good friends, and that means more to me than the promise of more money (in a larger job market).”
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 30 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
