Dorothy "Scottie" W. Brafford's Obituary
Dorothy Scott Wilson Brafford (Scottie) Memphis, TN Scottie Brafford, 64 of Memphis, passed away peacefully and entered eternal life with the Lord on March 7, 2016, after a courageous battle with cancer. She was preceded in death by her mother, Dorothy Spencer Wilson and her father, William Knox Wilson. She is survived by her husband, Harley Wayne Brafford, their sons Micah, Owen, and Penn; her mother-in-law, Kathleen Brafford, sister, Jane Anderson, brother, Robert Wilson, and her two grandchildren, Noah and Emmy Brafford. Scottie was born on September 26, 1951 in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 1967, she met the love of her life, Wayne. Though she was a William Randolph Hearst scholar at Duke University, she transferred to North Carolina State University, finishing with a bachelor’s in science education. She and Wayne were married in 1973, followed quickly by a move to New Orleans and then New York. During this time, she taught physical science, earth science, chemistry, physics, and biology at two different schools. They moved to Maine and their first son, Micah was born. Their second, Owen, was born in Texas, the third, Penn, was born in Oregon, and the whole family settled in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1988. Raising and loving these three boys was the joy of Scottie’s life. During this time, she became passionate about Christian education, becoming the superintendent of children’s Sunday school at Christ United Methodist Church. This pursuit lead to a Master’s Degree from Memphis Theological Seminary, and she was ordained as Deacon in the United Methodist Church. After seminary she was at the First United Methodist Church, where she served as the Minister of Spiritual Formation and the Executive Director of FirstWorks, a nonprofit serving low-income families, children, and individuals. Over the years, she worked at Trinity United Methodist Church, Colonial Park United Methodist Church, and Mullins United Methodist Church. A new path for her career opened as Scottie became trained in spiritual formation at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Guidance in Washington, DC, as well as Upper Room’s Academy for Spiritual Formation in Baltimore. This new chapter in her life led her to positions of leadership in the Tennessee 5-Day Academy, the Fellowship of United Methodist Spiritual Directors and Retreat Leaders, and as the Minister of Spiritual Formation for West Tennessee. She was active in the local Spiritual Directors’ Peer Group and inspired many people with frequent classes on issues of personal spiritual growth. In recent years, Scottie and Wayne worshiped at Saint Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral where she was active in the life and spirit of the parish. Scottie had a diverse set of interests and passions. She played bass viola in several orchestras when she was younger, and continued playing piano for many years. Her background in science and rural upbringing led to a lifelong love of the natural world. She had a profound love for thunderstorms, geology, plant and wildlife, fly fishing, long walks, the Memphis Grizzlies, and canine companions. She was able to bring all of these passions together and bind them with her unwavering love and commitment to her family and to Christ. One of her favorite places in the world was the wild woods on Cypress Road in McNairy County, where she would come back from woodland walks having been profoundly moved. She exuded a love of life and of Christ, and was known as a mystic by the many who have been spiritually guided by her counsel and wisdom, which she continued even through her illness, a beacon of Christian faith and service. God’s light shone from Scottie, and illuminated a path for many in this community and beyond. The network of support she received these past years is a testament to Scottie’s love, and we are blessed to have known and been touched by an angel. There will be a memorial service at St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral (700 Poplar Avenue) on Saturday, March 12, from 10 – 11:30 AM. The family will receive friends and relatives at St. Mary’s immediately following the service. Burial will be in Memorial Park for family later that day. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to any one of the following: St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral – 700 Poplar Ave, Memphis, TN 38105; The Upper Room Academy of Spiritual Formation – 1908 Grand Ave, Nashville, TN 37212; West Cancer Clinic Foundation – 7945 Wolf River Boulevard, Germantown, TN 38138. Sarah Cannon Research Institute Foundation – 2300 Patterson St, Nashville, TN 37203. .
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