In Memoriam: Scott Wade

Story By Rich Moreno | Written on Sep 16, 2019

CWU lost a cherished member of its family in July when Vice President of University Advancement Scott Wade passed away at 44 years old while vacationing with his family.

Scott joined Central in 2012 and directed university efforts in development and alumni relations, and also served as executive director for the CWU Foundation. He strived to support the belief in the mission of higher education—transforming lives and empowering students to become successful leaders.

The quality and quantity of Scott’s work was confirmed this year when, for the first time, Central received an Educational Fundraising Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). CASE recognition is considered the industry’s gold standard. Another of his notable accomplishments was securing funding for the renovation and expansion of Tomlinson Stadium.

The Wildcat family will miss Scott’s commitment to Central Washington University. He was a great friend, impactful leader, and even better husband to his wife Jill and father to their three children Avlynn, Jackson, and Eleanor.

Tributes

“At Central, we strive to support and promote positive relationships through inclusion, collaboration, and cooperation. All members of my administrative team take that responsibility very seriously, but Scott truly embodied it. Regardless of the project or task at hand, Scott was masterful in developing meaningful, mutually beneficial relationships that will aid this institution long into the future.”— James L. Gaudino, CWU President

“Scott’s impact on Central Washington University athletics is immense. Scott knew the impact athletics had not only on our student-athletes, but also its ability to foster pride among our student body, alumni, and friends of the university. He was able to ignite and fuel the passion of our donors to invest their time, talents, and treasures in the university and its students. Just as important, however, is the fact that Scott was a great colleague and friend. He will be sorely missed by the Wildcat nation.”— Dennis Francois, CWU Athletic Director

“Scott was a friend who had a way of lighting up a room and making everyone feel important. He was always genuine. While Scott’s passing is immeasurable to his family, community and CWU, it may be losing his unlimited future accomplishments that will hurt the most.”— Nancy and Ben Remak (’79), Donors

“Scott was sincere and followed through with every commitment. He shared stories about his family farm with raising 4-H sheep. He loved his family and bragged about them often. Scott always had a friendly face to greet us during the many times we associated with him. He even made a house call with Bob in Arizona for a fun visit with us. He poured his heart out and was a true Wildcat. God bless the family; we miss him dearly.”— Dick (’71) and Marlys Bedlington, Donors

“Scott was a very passionate individual about impacting young people’s lives and making the trajectory of their future a better place, always keeping in mind what we’re doing and who we were doing it for. That came through as being very authentic to people and was one of the reasons we had a lot of success during his tenure. He came in and changed the culture of the CWU Foundation and University Advancement and he will forever have an impact on peoples’ lives as we move forward.”— Jeff Hensler (’98), Chair of the Board of the CWU Foundation