- Date Of Birth: November 27, 1932
- Date Of Death: April 3, 2014
- State: Alabama
Fred Maurice “Tick” Scoggins-What a Man! His household always knew which category of person was on the phone by their request to speak to him. In no particular order, they heard: “May I speak to Fred?” Is Maurice there?” I was calling to see if Tick wanted to ride down to the swamp this afternoon.” “Is Coach Scoggins where I could talk with him?” “I’m calling from the State Department of Education. May I speak with Dr. Scoggins?” “This is Private Smith at Ft. McClellan. Could I speak with Command Sergeant Major Scoggins?” Of course, Tick, Daddy, Uncle Tick, and Mr. Tick were in there frequently also.
Born in Wagarville, the only son of Fred and Lena (Miss Sprig) Scoggins, he was welcomed by sisters Dot, Vera (Brownie), and Rita. He loved all of them, and his baby sister, Wanda several years later as well. After a childhood that-through photographic evidence-contained everything from driving his cart pulled by a goat to playing football at Leroy, to helping build state highways all over Alabama with his father, Fred, he joined the Army. He was stationed in Austria during the Korean Conflict. At one point, during a 30 day furlough, he bought a German Zundapt 75 motorcycle for $50.00 and rode it all over Europe. Even went down to Istanbul. Throughout his life, he went from Wagarville to Switzerland to Panama and a whole lot of places in between.
The G.I. Bill offered him an opportunity to attend East Mississippi Junior College in Scooba. He played football there, and is now in the Sports Hall of Fame. While there, he played bass fiddle all over Mississippi in “The Scooba Doobas” on the weekend- they even cut a record! He graduated there and became a student at Livingston State Teacher’s College where he also played football. He was even offered to tryout with the NY Jets but he couldn’t afford the ticket to New York! At Livingston, he became smitten with Marilyn Seale, the young Assistant Dean of Women. Her daughter was there and he enjoyed getting to know them and made it his goal that they would be a family. Tick and Marilyn were married in 1959, and had two children, Freida and Fred. He loved the warm, pretty, and gracious Marilyn and was proud of all three of the children. Betty so smart and poised; Freida so outgoing, and Fred Joseph such a companion. The grandchildren later were his joy.
His work ran quite a gamut from constructiion to education to military service to counting and identifying salt water fish at Orange Beach to being head cook on an oil rig in the Gulf. With lots of fishing, hunting, telling stories, reading, frying catfish and red snapper, laughing, and loving his family and his heritage mixed in. He was loved and respected and enjoyed by many. There’s a theme that ran throughout his life, and that is Water. He pumped water as a little boy in Wagarville, which is where he learned to swim in Bassetts Creek. He loved the Tombigbee River and Swamp. He loved the Gulf of Mexico and the Panama Canal. And he was blessed by the waters of Baptism. Yes, the world has lost quite a man. And he’s casting a rod right now in Heaven and eager to see us when we get there.
Survivors
Wife of Fifty-Five Years
Marilyn Crowe Scoggins ~ Leroy, AL
Son – Fred Joseph (Cindy) Scoggins ~ Wagarville, AL
Daughters
Betty Seale (Dan) Barlow ~ Grove Hill, AL
Freida (Thomas) Baker ~ Montgomery, AL
Sister – Wanda (Sam) Roberts ~ Leroy, AL
Seven Grandchildren ~ Six Great Grandchildren
Numerous Other Relatives and Friends
Preceded in Death By: Parents
Fred Austin Scoggins and Lena Bailey Scoggins
Sisters:
Dorothy Pittman, Vera Hitson and Rita Smith
Paul Stanley, Stephen Scoggins, Barry Roberts, David Jones, Dan Barlow, Thomas Baker
