Esther Elizabeth Scott, a career-long state employee in Lansing, who took special delight in spending time with family and friends, passed away on Tuesday, December 15, 2020.

Esther, who died after recently moving into a local assisted-living facility, was 97 years old.

Life, love and laughter were values she shared most with others. Esther enjoyed telling funny stories, and her laughter – infectious as it was – prompted amusement in others. Her charm often helped turn ordinary moments, like attending a cookout or playing a round of cards, into something memorable.

When remembering birthdays and holidays, she never forgot loved ones. She marked the occasions – without fail – with a card, and often a gift. It was not uncommon for the cards to include a paw print from her dogs, Flossy and Stu, as she was an ardent animal lover.

Esther's sharp memory also shined at the Michigan Department of Agriculture where she worked for 25 years. Her job sometimes required her coming in close contact with small animals, such as rabbits and guinea pigs, and often tried to find adoptive homes for them with families she knew.

While well-known at work, Esther also was popular outside of the office, too. She was a longtime member of the Lions Club International, which raises money for the blind, disabled and serves through its organization a range of humanitarian causes.

In her spare time, she sold Avon, a company who sold its cosmetics directly to consumers. Drawing upon an outgoing personality, her side business with Avon thrived for decades.

Esther Elizabeth Washington Scott was born November 22, 1923, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Her parents were the late Henry and Hattie Washington.

She graduated from Central High School in 1941 after her family moved to Lansing. She built her life in the Capital City, marrying and raising a daughter.

Then, by the 1990s, she retired and began spending winters in Arizona, until about three years ago, when she no longer felt comfortable travelling such long distances.

Still, she enjoyed her golden years, pursuing lifelong pastimes, such as boating, dancing, and card games. She enjoyed an occasional trip to the casinos, where she delighted in playing slot machines.

Esther had one daughter, Carol Lynn Mumford-Forman, who preceded her in death. Her previous husbands – James Walker, Wayne Mumford, and Jasper Scott – were deceased decades ago.

Survivors include: a granddaughter, Chawnna Foreman; two great-grandchildren, Raekwon and Romesha and her daughter, Nevaeh; a goddaughter, Shelly Thorn; a niece, Gayle Brown; a nephew, Benjamin Brown; and two special friends, Janet Mollay and Sonny Pullin.

Esther's arrangements will be handled by Riley Funeral Home, 426 West Saint Joseph Street, Lansing, Michigan 48933. Her final wishes included cremation. With public gatherings largely shut down by the COVID-19 virus, no memorial service will be held.

There will be no services for Ms. Scott at this time.