As an active member of First Presbyterian Church while also singing in the choir and serving on the Personnel Committee, David Van Scoy was a “dear friend in Christ” to the Rev. Roula Alkhouri for nearly 17 years, she says.
She shared about his deep faith and love for God, often reflected in community service through many local organizations, mirrored the way of Jesus — “which is all about unconditional love,” Alkhouri said.
“He was always grateful for the gift of life as he had a brush with death many years ago. He had a sense of joy about him that sparkled with God's light,” she said. “Whether he was playing the ukulele or having a serious meeting, Dave always knew how to put love first. Even when there was a conflict that needed to be addressed, Dave was gracious because he saw everyone as a child of God who deserved to be treated with dignity and care.”
Van Scoy died Sept. 10, 2024 at the age of 82 after many years of a distinguished career in education and dedication to serving the needs of others, including at the church. His insights were always deep and wise, Alkhouri said.
“Yet, he was also humble about it and always used his gifts to serve others and to love his community. Dave had incredible wisdom, which he blessed so many of us with,” she said. “He was a very generous man in spirit and in giving. He embodied the teachings of Christ about loving our neighbors as ourselves. Dave also left us an amazing example of loving his family and loving God's creation. I am so grateful to have known Dave as a friend. He has enriched my life and helped me become a better person.”
He also helped her professionally to become a better leader, she said, through his encouragement and guidance “whenever I needed it.”
“I knew that I could count on Dave's honesty and integrity. I remember coming back one time from a leadership development workshop when I met with the Personnel Committee to ask them to help me figure out my workload; Dave simply said, ‘Trust yourself, and do the work as you see God is calling you to do it, and we will support you,’” she said. “These words have stayed with me and have guided me through many challenges.
“I am very sad for losing Dave, yet in faith, I know that our bond is eternal and that Dave will continue cheering us on through the Spirit of God's love,” she said. “One day we will meet again.”
Van Scoy had been a math teacher, assistant principal, principal and superintendent at other school districts before settling into the superintendent position at Batavia City Schools from the early 1980s to 1998. At the Batavia district, he crossed paths with three people in three different capacities, all of whom remember him fondly.
Alice Benedict was elected to the Board of Education in 1995 and learned that the district’s leader was “a gentle and positive person,” she said.
“He showed genuine kindness and caring to the students of the district. He expressed to the Board the importance of giving the students the best education the district could afford. He was very supportive of the teaching staff,” Benedict said. “Dr Van Scoy led the school district with strong authority but in a non-aggressive manner. He had a positive support attitude and respected the Board’s opinions. He had a strong working relationship with administrators and he fostered a collaborative culture throughout the district.”
It wasn’t just colleagues who admired him, though, as Jason Smith, now a superintendent himself but a student in the 1980s, has nice memories of Van Scoy, who was always present at concerts, he said.
“My mother would often remark to me how she enjoyed seeing him at concerts playing his ukulele,” Smith said. “I can recall him working at the Pageant of Bands with the Band Boosters, as his son Shawn (who is also a superintendent of schools) was in the band as well.”
Smith shared a story that many people from back then remember, he said, about Van Scoy's methods for calling snow days well before the days of the Internet. He would simply go outside, take a look, put a ruler in the ground, and make the call!
“I saw Dr. Van Scoy recently at Ken Hay's funeral, where we had a nice ‘superintendent to superintendent’ chat with his trademark witty humor,” Smith said. “It is a personal and professional honor to serve in the same role once held by Dr. Van Scoy, a legendary Batavia City School District Superintendent of Schools, who served us so well for 19 years.”
Van Scoy hired Julia Rogers as a Spanish teacher in 1993, and although he was an obvious dedicated leader in Batavia, she also recognized his many other attributes, she said. He was “visible and approachable and was passionate about learning,” while also giving people a supportive nudge to pursue their strengths.
“He supported learning opportunities for his students and encouraged continuous learning and growth for his staff, even granting sabbaticals to people looking to go into administration (like my Dad),” she said. “When he saw good things occurring, he offered genuine praise to the person.”
And as with First Presbyterian Church, Van Scoy also helped out at the Lions Club, selling hotdogs at Batavia High and Notre Dame High School football games and at the BHS Class of 1988 Project Graduation event, Rogers said. He was always there, she said, but not always as an administrator. He was a father, too.
“His son Shawn was in my class, and at the Project Graduation event, Dr. Van Scoy made it known to us he was there as Shawn's dad. A couple of us teased him, and instead of saying Dr., said ‘Ok, Mr. Van Scoy,’ and he laughed,” she said. “He was at Batavia Clippers' games on various occasions, but especially at the annual Lions Club night raffling off bikes to Batavia children.”
Still helping his Batavia community, he served on the Salvation Army Advisory Board as well. They spoke recently at a Salvation Army board meeting, and “he told me how proud he was of me and was glad he hired me and wished me well in my venture at Notre Dame,” she said.
“He was very involved in our community since day one, but to his family, he was so much more,” she said. “My deepest sympathies go out to Mrs. Van Scoy, his sons, Shawn and Mark, and their families.”
