Obituary of Anais Scott

Anais Scott 1960–2016 Anais Scott, 55, of Montclair, NJ, passed away on January 29, 2016, of breast cancer. Anais was born in London, England, and the Scott family immigrated to Canada in 1962, settling in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Anais received her BA (Hons) in English from McGill University in Montreal in 1986 and returned to London in 1987, where she began a career in book publishing. She worked for Unwin Hyman (subsequently HarperCollins), where she met her future husband, Stephen Humphreys, before switching to freelance work after the birth of daughters Thais and Sydney. The family moved to the US in 1994, settling in Montclair, where Anais continued working freelance while raising her family. Anais began a second career as a children’s librarian in the early 2000s, working in the New Jersey and Wyoming public library systems. She received her MLS (with Distinction) from Pratt Institute in NY in 2007, and was an ardent proponent of the benefits of early literacy on a child’s emotional and cognitive development. At the time of her passing, Anais was Youth Services Librarian at the Dixon Homestead Library in Dumont, where she developed early literacy programs for parents and pre-reading children, along with other innovative and highly engaging programs for children and parents alike. Anais was pleased to see her daughters grow up to become intelligent, strong, and independent young women. She also found joy in creative activities, making pottery, playing flute and piano. Most of all, she loved to read and express herself through her own writing. Anais will be sadly missed by her husband Stephen; daughters Thais and Sydney Scott Humphreys; mother Jocelyne Scott; siblings David (Laurel Howard), Karen, and Wilder Scott; nephew Zander Howard-Scott; and nieces Elena Howard-Scott and Camille Jordan. Anais was pre-deceased by her father Christopher and her sister Alison (Terry Jordan). She will also be missed by the Humphreys family in England, and her friends and colleagues in the book publishing and public library communities. A private memorial celebration will be held in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in the summer of 2016, and the Dixon Homestead Library is planning to establish a memorial garden on its grounds (contributions can be directed to the Dixon Homestead Library, 180 Washington Avenue, Dumont, New Jersey 07628). Alternately, Anais would be pleased if you made a donation to a local children’s literacy program or to your national public broadcasting station.