Yours in service
“Yours in service.” If you’ve ever received an email or a letter from my older brother, Scott McFarland, you may be familiar with his sign off. Scott’s entire life was dedicated to helping others. Although he was taken far too soon – a week prior to his 42nd birthday – he touched many lives in his short time with us.
Our parents, Don and Karla, raised Scott, me and our younger brother, Ryan, to help others and treat them with kindness. Scott embraced these values and began his life of service in Scouting America. He reached the rank of Eagle Scout and led our local lodge to Scouting’s National Honor Society, the Order of the Arrow.
Born in Silvis, Illinois, Scott moved with his family to Moline when he was in middle school. After graduating from Moline High School, he completed his undergraduate degree at Western Illinois University, where he served on several student-led boards and organizations, including Model Illinois Government (MIG). Scott was inspired by the experience MIG provided. In fact, it was a weeklong MIG simulation of state government in Springfield which led him to pursue his master’s degree in the state capital.
It was in Springfield where Scott thrived, especially in service to others. He began his career as an intern at Serve Illinois, a commission under the governor’s office dedicated to volunteering. He led programs such as AmeriCorps and helped administer grants across the state. Eventually, he rose up the ranks and became executive director of Serve Illinois.
At Scott’s celebration of life this fall, people from similar organizations from around the country flew into Springfield to pay their respects. I had some idea of the effect he had on others but realized that day I was underestimating the scope of his impact. At the celebration, many friends shared stories of Scott’s advocacy for service programs and described how he put his whole heart into ensuring others could lead fulfilling lives.
People in Springfield may remember Scott from his time on the District 186 school board. He served on that board two separate times. His mission was to represent the north end as well as possible. He truly believed the kids of the school district were his responsibility, and he wanted to provide them with a safe and inclusive learning environment.
Scott assumed the role of president of the school board as schools across the country were closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a stressful time for parents and children across the district. While some may disagree with decisions the school board made during this time, I can assure you Scott made decisions based on what he felt was best for the kids. They were always his guiding light.
Scott began a mutual aid Facebook page in 2020 called “Springfield Families Helping Families.” Along with a few of his friends, he administered the page during the toughest days of the pandemic. That group is still thriving today, helping thousands of individuals. At the time of this writing, the group stands at 34,000 members.
A career change led Scott to move away from Springfield, and eventually he and his family returned to the Quad Cities. He continued to work with service-related organizations until his passing.
I see Scott’s legacy of service in his children, especially his oldest, Anastasia. She often helped pack meal kits at the 9/11 National Day of Service events her dad attended. As she begins to look at colleges herself, I know she will continue his legacy of service.
He was a lifelong Cubs fan. His twins, Clark and Addison, (named after the streets intersecting at Chicago’s Wrigley Field), were born in 2016. So, I really think we all have him and his wife, Amber, to thank for lifting the curse and getting the Cubs a World Series championship that year.
If service was Scott’s purpose in life, then being a geek was his passion. He loved science fiction. I remember growing up watching episodes of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” in his room. He also loved board games. It seemed that the more complicated the rules, the more he would love to explain the games to the rest of us at our annual family Christmas gathering.
Scott followed my lead into podcasting. He hosted several shows, including “Zone-i-sodes,” a “Twilight Zone” fan show, and he was working on a show called “Especially the Lies,” which recapped all the episodes of “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.” He found a large audience with his show “Grey 17” about the TV series “Babylon 5.” In his podcast, he led newbie viewers through the series like a nerdy sci-fi Sherpa. Although he tried to persuade me to listen to the podcast, I had not done so before his passing. I’m grateful for this because I know his voice is still out there. Someday when I need him, he’ll be there waiting with fresh content, eager to tell me about his favorite sci-fi stories.
I think of Scott every day. I miss him so much. I know he knew I loved him, but of course, I wish I would have told him more often. He was my first friend in the world and an incredible example of a man, father and friend I’ll continue to do my best to live up to. I love you, brother.
Craig McFarland, who followed his brother, Scott, to Springfield in 2007 to attend UIS, is now a senior academic adviser at University of Illinois Springfield. He is active in the local theater scene, and serves on the board of Hoogland Center for the Arts.
This article appears in January 1-7, 2026.
