Community celebrates life of Scott Dillon

WINDERMERE — A passing storm didn’t stop more than 100 family members and friends of Scott Dillon from remembering his life June 5 at Windermere Little League.

Although dark clouds lingered and a heavy rain passed through the area, parking at George Bailey Park was at a premium, because those who knew the Windermere resident — many of whom knew Dillon through his years as president of Windermere Little League or as an umpire for high-school and youth baseball — packed themselves into the playground adjacent to one of the ballfields. Covered by a canopy, they were partially shielded from the rain.

There, his life was celebrated just steps from the ballfields on which so many local youth have benefited from his hard work over the years. The group included several of his fellow umpires — clad in their uniform blue polos as a sign of respect.

Later, at a reception at Butler Bay Recreation Area, about 250 people gathered to further remember Dillon and, as the storm finally passed and the sun set, a double-rainbow emerged on the horizon. 

After a tough week that saw news of his passing spread through the community — met with disbelief and sadness — it was, for many in attendance who took out camera phones to photograph it, a fitting end to the day of remembrance for Dillon who, at 57, died of a heart attack May 30.

“The turnout, to have people stand there during that type of weather, was unbelievable,” said Katherine Adams, a neighborhood friend of the Dillons. “It was amazing to have had (the service) on the jungle gym — that was Scott. He just went with the flow. … 

“It was an amazing end of the evening with the most beautiful sunset and the double-rainbow, and everybody just sort of stood still and looked at it, and it was a great, great way to end (the day).”

A BASEBALL LIFE

Baseball was a lifelong passion of Dillon, and so it is also fitting that one of the fields at Windermere Little League is named for the former league president. Dillon so loved baseball that, after sons Spencer and Garrett had aged out of the league, his involvement and dedication continued.

The Windermere resident’s passion even led him to become an umpire. And although he was respected by all of his fellow umpires, coaches and players, he still experienced the typical abuse from the stands over calls with which parents disagreed. Nevertheless, it was a way to stay involved in the game that meant so much to him and he always handled himself with class.

“We’re going to continue his legacy through this great game,” said Winter Garden Squeeze General Manager Adam Bates, who worked with Dillon as a fellow umpire who was tasked with assigning umpires to games. “I’ve asked guys this week, ‘Go umpire for Scott.’ He would go on an emergency (umpiring) assignment. … Everybody liked Scott.”

That sentiment extended to his previous role of volunteering for many years at the Little League as a coach, board member and, eventually, president. Even today, years after his official role with the organization in Windermere ended, his legacy lives on.

“He helped mentor me into the role of president,” said Joe Vargo, who followed Dillon as league president. “He helped me through the transition process and helped me to understand that you’re never going to make everyone happy — but you just try to stand to the principles that the league has and you do your best. Scott was certainly one of those guys who did that and led by that credo.”

PUTTING OTHERS FIRST

One of the things that stood out about Dillon through his involvement was his inclination to make decisions that benefitted all of the kids — not specifically his own children or the league’s standout ballplayers.

“He would take the shirt off his back — for anybody,”  said Todd LaNeave, who along with Vargo worked under Dillon as a league vice president. “He was dedicated to every single kid. … The thing that we talked about at the board meetings, as far as what’s best for the league, it was always with every single player in mind and not just the elite players.”

And, incredibly enough, though he spent countless days and nights at the ballpark, Scott Dillon still found time to be a loving husband to his wife, Sandra, and a great father to his two sons.

“At the same time that he was caring about all these kids, he didn’t push his kids aside,” LaNeave marveled. “(His family) was still the most important thing to him and he still spent the time with his boys — I don’t know how he did it. But he did, and he loved it.”

Contact Steven Ryzewski at [email protected].