Forbes Scott McLure, II

Sgt. Forbes "Scott" McLure II, 75, of Auburntown, Tennessee passed away on Saturday, April 20, 2024. He was born in Fresno, California on Sunday, January 16, 1949. Preceding him in death were his wife, Cecelia Mae (Moody) McLure, and parents, Forbes Scott and Annie Laurie (Wagner) McLure, Sr.

He is survived by his children, Forbes Scott (Rachel) McLure III of Yorba Linda, California, Caitlin Annie (Nathan) Hines of Murfreesboro, and Cory James (Ary) McLure of Dearborn, Michigan; siblings, Toyann Totzke and Charles Wagner; and grandchildren, Harper Sage McLure, Forbes Scott McLure IV, Beckett Hines, Hutton Hines, Finley Hines, Augustus McLure, and Alessia McLure.

Sgt. Forbes "Scott" McLure II, 75, of Auburntown, Tennessee passed away on Saturday, April 20, 2024. He was born in Fresno, California on Sunday, January 16, 1949, to the late Forbes Scott and Annie Laurie (Wagner) McLure, Sr. Born not long after World War II, at the beginning of the Cold War, and at the cusp of the Civil Rights Movement, Scott grew up in pivotal times in United States history. From knowing shelter locations across the city in the case of a nuclear attack to marches through the streets, the 50s and 60s were times of civil unrest.

Forbes and Annie did their best to shelter their children from any danger during their time in Fresno and Sanger, but there was no doubt in their minds that Scott would be the one to run toward it. He attended McLane High for 2 years before enlisting in the Marine Corps. He fought in the Vietnam War from 1966-1973, and during those 7 years, he spent time in Okinawa, Japan, and Vietnam, qualifying as a Rifle Sharpshooter and earning a Good Conduct Medal. 

There are untold horrors that our Vietnam Veterans experienced and nightmares that followed them the rest of their lives. Luckily for Scott, he had found more than his battalion to rely on for support and those mental, emotional, and physical hardships. In the middle of his service, Scott returned to U.S. soil and was stationed at El Toro Air Base near Irvine, CA. It was there he met and married his greatest supporter, Peggy. 

About a year before his discharge, Scott and Peggy welcomed their happy and healthy baby boy, Forbes Scott McLure III, into the world. After discharge, Scott returned to civilian life in Huntington Beach, where he began working for Fisher Plumbing. However, Scott found that Huntington Beach didn't fit him quite right and tried Fountain Valley on for size. Aiming to have a normal life, he took on coaching Forbes in soccer and baseball and enjoyed dates with Peggy going on the hunt to collect antique furniture.

In the stress and problems of day-to-day life, Scott and Peggy drifted apart and made the difficult decision to separate. Scott moved and made his home in Anaheim, and though it took him some time, Scott met the love of his life, Cecelia Mae Moody. They were married on November 23, 1985, and went on to raise their children, Caitlin Annie McLure and Cory James McLure, in the way they should go. For about 12 years, the McLure family attended the Zion Lutheran Church, and Caitlin and Cory studied there from kindergarten to 8th grade. 

Scott and Cecelia laid a strong foundation for their children so that no matter where they ended up in life, they'd always know the way back home. From there, they built their home with lessons in hard work and dedication. For most of the beginning of his career, Scott stayed with Fisher Plumbing, but he went on to work for and retire from Long Beach Unified School District after 21 years in the Maintenance Department. He worked long hours but used those as a lesson to his kids, and when he would come home, he made sure to be involved in their lives regardless of the day he had.

There was a passion deep within Scott to not just be busy but to be present. As a child, Scott loved sports of any kind and went on to play slow-pitch softball as a young adult. Teamwork and dedication were more values he wanted to instill in his own children, and he reaped the fruits of his labor living to see those lessons being passed on to his grandchildren. He took great joy in watching the grandchildren's ball games and events. Not much came before his family, but if you knew Scott, you knew that cars were close behind.

His passion for classic cars was second to none. He enjoyed working on his '67 Camaro RS and '67 Mustang, but there were some cars that held his attention even more — racecars. NASCAR was Scott's #1 passion. No matter what day you were talking with him there was a race on in the background. There was something exhilarating about a good race, and Scott was all about it. But that doesn't mean he never slowed down.

In fact, Scott built a woodworking shop in his garage to do just that. He took his time crafting numerous pieces of furniture and household items for family and friends. He even incorporated old plumbing parts into his hand-crafted lighthouses, and when Scott really needed to relax, he got out on the mower. He spent his remaining years out in Auburntown taking care of his property and enjoying the simple, yet finer things of life.

The family will hold private services at a later date.

Share memories and condolences at www.gentrysmithfuneralhome.com Gentry-Smith Funeral Home, 303 Murfreesboro Rd. Woodbury, TN 37190, 615-563-5337 Because every life has a story