Innisfil Rotary Club members are remembering their friend, local grocer and longtime supporter Troy Scott after losing his battle with COVID-19 last week.
Scott, who was the owner of Foodland in Stroud, died after a weeks-long battle with the virus.
He was a community leader who supported many organizations in town, including the Innisfil Rotary Club and Innisfil Food Bank.
"We are totally devastated by the loss of Troy. He was such a beacon in our community and has been an amazing friend to the Rotary Club," said Anne Smith, president of the Innisfil Rotary Club.
"You can see by the outpouring of emotion in the community, it is a real testament to what the guy was like," added Rotary Club member Al Gilchrist.
"He would never say 'no'," remembered Gilchrist, who shared stories about Scott's enthusiasm for the community and willingness to help out however he could.
Scott exemplified the true meaning of Rotary's "service above self" mission by giving back to the community he lived in, without ever looking for any recognition, he added.
"He sure answered that call. He was wonderful," said Gilchrist.
A few years ago, Gilchrist remembers inviting Scott to the Rotary Club's appreciation night event to thank him publicly for all his support.
"It was difficult to get him there," said Gilchrist, noting Scott was not one for the limelight. "I called him up on the stage to give him the appreciation plaque and you could just see he didn't want to be up there and he turned the whole situation around and started thanking us for what we do."
Gilchrist remembered going to Scott anytime the Rotary Club was given monetary donations to purchase items for the food bank.
'He'd say, 'leave it with me, I'll see what I can do'," Gilchrist said. "And he would phone his suppliers and he would look for deals and we'd probably get around $1,4000 worth of food for our $1,000."
Not only would Scott go out of his way to stretch the donations as much as he could for the club, but he would also help load the items into the Rotary Club's truck to take back to the food bank.
Gilchrist's wife Susan, who is also a Rotarian, once learned about two teen girls in the community who were skipping school because they didn't have access to feminine hygiene products.
"Our Rotarians got together with $1,000 and went up to see Troy, and once again he did his magic and we ended up with more than $1,000 worth of feminine hygiene products and sanitary products for seniors," said Gilchrist.
"He never said 'no'."
"When you're a volunteer with an organization like Rotary, you depend on the businesses to help you and he recognized that," added Gilchrist. "He was always there for us."
Gilchrist remembers stopping by the store and Scott was always there with a smile on his face, ready to chat.
"Innisfil was his home. He loved the community. He loved the people," said Gilchrist.
He and Scott were planning to have an appreciation barbecue for the residents of Sandycove Acres once the pandemic was over.
"It was an absolute pleasure to know the man," he said. "He is one person that I'll never forget."
Fellow Rotarian Tom Raeburn, Innisfil's former fire chief, had been friends with Scott since he was a kid, both growing up in Stroud.
"Troy was a great guy. Very generous, very funny," said Raeburn.
"He was so honest with you. If I did something he thought was dumb, he'd be the first one to call me out on it," Raeburn said with a laugh. "That's one of the things you loved about him; he didn't hold any punches."
He remembers Scott first working at the grocery store, which was originally an IGA, as a stock boy at around the age of 12.
"He moved up, became a manager, and that is what got him going in the retail grocery realm," said Raeburn.
Scott owned many grocery stores in the region. When an opportunity to purchase the Stroud store came about, he jumped on the opportunity.
"He always wanted to try and get back into Stroud. ... That's where he wanted to retire, for sure," said Raeburn.
When Raeburn's son had COVID around Christmastime, Scott would stop by the house to drop off food while the family was in quarantine.
"I'd call him, put an order in and he'd bring it all over, deliver it to the front door," he said, adding Scott never asked for any payment. "That's just the way Troy was. If somebody needed something, he was good to help out."
Scott was also an avid golfer and a member of the Innisbrook Golf Club. The club has a collage of Scott's photos being shown on their electronic sign at the front entrance.
"It makes you cry every time you go by it," said Raeburn. "The tributes out there for Troy are really heartwarming."
The Rotarians and the Town of Innisfil are planning to do something to honour and recognize Scott for his community support once COVID-19 restrictions allow for larger gatherings.
