Paula Elizabeth Scott

Paula Elizabeth (Guiles) Scott, 76, of Franklin, Tennessee, passed away on September 9, 2023, in Nashville, Tennessee. Paula was born on February 5, 1947, to Paul Vaughn and Alice (Matthews) Guiles in Nashville. After a childhood and young adulthood in the Volunteer State, she moved to New York, New York in her twenties to seek her fortune in secretarial work while taking college courses part-time. In the early 1970s, she met Benedict George “Ben” Scott, a mathematics and computer science professor at Fordham University in New York. After a brief courtship, they married in 1973. After a few years, Paula and Ben moved in 1975 to Concord, California, where they had two sons, Adam and Noah. In 1980, they moved to Antioch, Tennessee, where they lived until 1987, when they moved to Franklin.

While she was a loving wife and supportive mother and homemaker, furthering her education was also important to Paula. After years of study, she completed many years of coursework as she graduated from Belmont University in Nashville with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Sociology December 17, 1993. A devoted Catholic for many years, Paula viewed St. Francis of Assisi as a role model from a young age. Paula's passions were mental and spiritual health and looking out and speaking up for God's creatures who could not speak up for themselves, in particular, cats and dogs. For decades, she was a pet-sitter for a small but loyal clientele of local families in need of a trustworthy caregiver for their furry friends from time to time.

In her later years, Paula enjoyed reading spy thriller and crime novels by authors including Vince Flynn, David Baldacci, J.A. Jance, and James Patterson. She also enjoyed watching crime-themed television shows including “NCIS,” “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “NCIS: Hawai'i,” “Monk,” and “Psych”. When her health permitted, she was a tireless advocate for shelter animals in dire need of rescue from imminent euthanasia or worse fates, frequently spending hours a day circulating emails on behalf of animals in desperate circumstances and praying for their deliverance to new, safe, loving forever homes.

Paula was preceded in death by her husband of 50 years, Ben Scott, May 27, 2023. She is survived by her son Adam Scott, of Franklin; son Noah Ferro and wife Cassondra Vick, of Cincinnati, Ohio; stepdaughter Laura Ferro and her husband Billy Sokol; stepson Anthony Scott and his wife Allison; granddaughter Hannah Sokol, grandson Lev Ferro. and granddaughter Bina Ferro. Private family memorial services will be held at a later date. Caring for all animals, and especially for her cats, was at the core of who Paula was as a person. The family requests that those wishing to honor Paula's memory do not send flowers. Memorials may be made to Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue, www.proverbs1210rescue.org, or to any local animal rescue organization, in memory of Paula Scott.

Nashville Cremation Center is honored to be entrusted with handling Mrs. Scott's arrangements. Please visit her guestbook to leave a thoughtful note for the family.