Scott R. Baumann ’69

Scott died Dec. 20, 2023, in Auburn, Wash. He was a Navy veteran and retired United Airlines pilot.

His father was in the Navy, and Scott and his four siblings moved with their parents to Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio, Hawaii, and California, where Scott graduated from Point Loma High School. There he ran for the cross-country and track teams, excelled at academics, and became an Eagle Scout.

Scott’s activities at Princeton foreshadowed his later career. Besides majoring in astrophysics and working jobs at Commons and the Language Lab, Scott was president of the Flying Club. Wanting to serve his country, he joined the Navy during his senior year. After graduation, he began training for the most dangerous kind of flying, as a Navy carrier pilot.

Following naval service, from 1978 to 2000 Scott loved flying for United, operating “some of the most complicated equipment in the world,” he said. His flying career ended when he was piloting a flight from Los Angeles to London and suffered a stroke. In retirement he especially enjoyed building and running model boats with friends in a remote-controlled model boat club. His continued interest in flying led him to become a docent at the Museum of Flight.

Scott met his wife Claudia on eHarmony and they got married in 2006. They bonded over their shared love of the Seahawks, the Mariners, and country music. Scott is survived by Claudia; his son Scott and his wife Brittni; daughter Lindsey; and grandchildren Hunter, Camdyn, and Livi.