Obituary of Marvin L. Scripter

The Last Flight of Marvin Scripter Marvin Lavoy Scripter died Saturday evening July 9, 2011, at Gulf Coast hospital after battling Stage 4 cancer for 9 months. He was content and at peace with his God and family as his soul shed these mortal bonds and flew to new heavenly heights. Marvin was born Sept 2, 1941, in Toledo, Ohio. He leaves behind his loving wife, Faith Scripter, and son, Matthew Scripter. He had been a resident of Muse, FL since 1991. Marvin dreamed of being a pilot from the time he was a young child and made his dream a reality as a young man when he passed his private pilot's examination. He flew across the U.S. in his early 20's. While transporting a plane to Belize in the 1960's, he was asked to scout for Mayan ruins in the jungles by treasure hunters and made an emergency landing on a beach and was fed by a local tribe until he could be rescued. He transitioned to piloting helicopters and discovered he had a remarkable talent for precision flying. Crop-dusting jobs led him from Ohio to Minnesota, before he settled into a migrant lifestyle as his business served farmers in upstate NY and south Florida. He started his own crop-dusting business in the 1970's that survived crop freezes, helicopter crashes, unreliable employees, and farmer debt defaults. His reputation for honesty, an uncompromising work ethic, customer service, and unmatched skill in applying agro-chemicals to corn, oranges, avocados, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, and potatoes made him highly respected by everyone he worked for. Marvin was an avid hunter and fisherman. He hunted moose in Canada, bears in MI, hogs in FL, squirrels in OH, and deer in NY, but probably enjoyed the thrill of hunting with dogs for bears, hogs, and raccoons most of all. Fishing was a life-long passion that transitioned into a way to spend time with his son, Matthew. They fished for tarpon, snook, and seatrout in Pine Island Sound, bass and crappie in Lake Okeechobee, and even made a trip to SE Alaska to fish for salmon and halibut. Marvin even dared to explore abandoned coal mines in Nevada and paraglide off a Peruvian mountainside. Marvin's business and personal successes were rooted in his godly character. During his 20 years in LaBelle, he attended the LaBelle Church of God, but had been a faithful follower of Jesus Christ since childhood. His family appreciates his devotion to them and to his God immensely. He will be dearly missed. The viewing will be held at the LaBelle Church of God in LaBelle, FL on Friday July 15, 2011, from 5-8 p.m. Funeral services will be held at the same location on Saturday July 16, 2011, at 10:00 a.m. .