Willard F. “Snooks” Scarbro passed away at his home in Powell on Dec. 22, 2020, at the age of 93. He was quintessential Powell, the last of the original Scarbro family that founded the Powell Telephone Company (now Frontier).
The late Allan Gill told about the time he and some of Snooks’ older brothers “borrowed” a canoe or raft for a summer float to a nearby farm where the watermelons were ripening. The boys feasted on the melons and would have gotten away clean except Snooks got sick. Mr. Scarbro, then about 70, looked sheepish and said, “But I was just a little kid.”
His family submitted this obituary, so lyrical and true that we’re reprinting most of it.
He was known to most as “Snooks” and to a lucky few as “Pa.”
Snooks spent his life in Powell, TN. He was born there and spent many years working in the family business at Powell Telephone Company, as well as building homes around town. He loved the Powell community, its traditions, institutions, and most of all, its people.
In recent years, you were most likely to find him enjoying his favorite chair on the front porch. But throughout his life, Snooks could be found reliably in the back row of the First Baptist Powell sanctuary on Sundays, participating in Fourth of July and Christmas parades, and at the annual Powell High School Alumni Association banquets. No matter where or when you found him, Snooks gave generously, laughed heartily and worked tirelessly – all demonstrations of his love for family, friends and his fellow Powell citizens.
Read more here.
Mr. Scarbro is survived by his wife of 71 years, Cleo, two daughters and their families. Burial will be private and a celebration of life is planned for a time when it can be held safely.