Remembering Sheriff Roger Scott: Hundreds attend funeral for longtime lawman

DeKALB – Hundreds gathered on a snowy Friday to celebrate the life and legacy of the late DeKalb County Sheriff Roger Scott.

Scott, 78, spent 52 years serving the public through various jobs in the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office. He retired in 2021 and died Feb. 23. Loved ones, colleagues and friends spoke about Scott’s love of family, commitment to law enforcement and safety, and devotion to his faith.

DeKalb County Sheriff Andy Sullivan began working with Scott in 1996 and has often called him a mentor.

“It’s no wonder that his fellow sheriffs across Illinois called him a legend,” Sullivan said. “But beyond all the accolades and beyond the years of service, Roger was a teacher and a mentor.”

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The casket of former DeKalb County Sheriff Roger Scott is brought out of the church by a detail of law enforcement officers Friday, March 7, 2025, following his memorial service at Bethany Road Bible Church in DeKalb. Scott, who was the county sheriff for 36 years, died on February 23 at the age of 78. (Mark Busch)

In 1969, Scott began his law enforcement career as a radio dispatcher. Over the next 12 years, he rose through the ranks to become a sheriff’s deputy, the first K-9 officer in the county, a lieutenant and chief deputy before becoming the most tenured sheriff in DeKalb County history.

That career path wasn’t unique in his family. His brother, Wilbur Scott, was elected sheriff in 1970 and held onto the role until 1984. Roger Scott, 12 years younger, took up the helm in 1985.

“Even when things were not going well, my dad would still find something to be thankful for.”

—  Daniel Scott, son of Roger Scott

Kevin Hickey, who was hired by Scott in 1976 and spent 15 years as his chief deputy before retiring in 2010, said Roger was known for working 24 hours or more during tough cases.

His secret? Coffee, Hickey said. He joked that his former boss likely invented iced coffee while working during a snowstorm in the 1970s.

“He poured from his thermos and literally ice pellets came out,” Hickey said. “I said, ‘Roger, you’re not going to drink that.' He said, ‘Coffee’s coffee.'

Born on Jan. 23, 1947, to Caroline and Elmer Scott, Roger went on to serve in the U.S. Air Force in 1965. He was honorably discharged in 1968. That next year, he married Marcia Scott. They shared more than 50 years building a life in DeKalb.

Together, Marcia and Roger Scott raised 11 children, including seven they adopted, and fostered more than 50. At the time of his death, Roger had 17 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Sullivan told Scott’s family that he was a better person for having known their patriarch.

“To his wife, Marcia, and their entire family – his greatest love and his greatest pride – we can never fully express the gratitude for sharing Roger with us for all of the years," Sullivan said. “We can only say thank you, and that his legacy of service and sacrifices will never be forgotten.”

More than 200 people, including friends, officials and law enforcement from across the county, attended Scott’s funeral at Bethany Road Bible Church in DeKalb. He was interred at Fairview Cemetery. Loved ones gathered for a meal at Faranda’s Banquets to cap his celebration of life.

Rich Tempel, 67, of DeKalb, attended the funeral and said Roger Scott was the “definition of a godly man.”

“Nobody’s ever going to get to that level. I mean, just the things he did, fostering all of the kids they did, and the service they gave to this county for all those years,” Tempel said. “All of that. That puts the bar out of sight for a godly man.”

On Thursday, mourners were invited to visit Scott, whose closed casket lay draped with an American flag.

Scott’s Cubs memorabilia was displayed, along with photographs and trinkets from throughout his life. An ornate flower arrangement depicting the Chicago Cubs logo was placed near him.

Fellow county government colleagues recalled Scott’s decades of service at the visitation.

DeKalb County Chief Circuit Court Judge Bradley Waller said Scott “was a man of integrity.”

“Great character, somebody that was always true to his word,” Waller said. “I enjoyed working with him. I enjoyed him as a person, and the fact that he was a Cubs fan makes it even better.”

Former DeKalb County State’s Attorney Rick Amato said he worked with Roger Scott for the majority of his eight years in office.

“He was just a beloved figure, great person, great servant,” Amato said. “With Roger, you could always feel the spirit with him, and everything he did just was so guided and so forethought that it was an absolute privilege to work with him.”

DeKalb County Engineer Nathan Schwartz said Roger Scott was always willing to help out anyone who needed help.

“His desire to help other people, and always do the right thing is one of his stand-out qualities,” Schwartz said. “In my opinion, he’s one of the people you look up to when you wonder what you should do.”

Sycamore Police Chief Jim Winters, who’s poised to retire later this month, said he considered Scott a role model and mentor for decades.

“He was a good sheriff, but he’s an even better man,” Winters said. “He really carried himself with compassion and professionalism, and everybody knew it. He was a role model for a lot of people, myself included. And I think he left a legacy in his professional and personal life that is just an unbelievable example of selfless acts.”

When Roger was 13, he took a train from DeKalb to Chicago to attend his first Cubs game at Wrigley Field. There wasn’t a more devoted fan, loved ones said.

One of Roger’s sons, Daniel Scott, said that being raised by DeKalb County’s top lawman sometimes meant that family plans and work collided. The pair went for ice cream one day, on the hunt for cookies and cream flavor, when someone approached his dad in the grocery store to chat.

Ever the committed sheriff, Scott stopped to talk, even at the expense of melting ice cream.

“He did care, and he did listen,” Daniel Scott said. “That’s why they talked to him.”

Daniel Scott said his father was at his most candid when seated at a baseball game watching the Cubs. He once saw his dad smiling in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Cubs trailing their opponent.

That’s because Roger Scott was known for counting his blessings, his son said. Roger’s ability to choose gratitude in moments when he could have longed for more was central to his character.

“Even when things were not going well, my dad would still find something to be thankful for,” Daniel Scott said. “You can never have too much happy. That’s what my dad liked to tell us kids.”