Jean Scott.

VALLEY VIEW, Texas—Jean Scott, a veteran optical industry executive who worked in a variety of retail and eyewear product development roles in the U.S. and abroad, passed away here on Dec. 21, 2024 after a cancer battle. Scott was born to Loran Erwin Scott and Nancy May (Carter) Scott on July 24,1959, in New Castle, Penn. She spent most of her early years in Wichita and Abilene, Kan., where she fell in love with the optical industry by working part-time for a close family friend in order to purchase her first pair of designer eyewear.  

Her passion for the optical industry never waned thereafter. Following her graduation from Wichita Heights High School in 1977, she left Kansas to attend Seattle Pacific University and then earned her MBA in finance from Baylor University. Upon graduation, she officially embarked upon her long and storied career in optical retailing and merchandising.  

Scott took on managerial roles with Cole National in the Northeast, worked with well-known NYC optician EB Meyerowitz and also at Boscov’s Optical in Pennsylvania. By the time she was 30, she was tapped to be one of the founding executive employees of the original National Vision Associates which was created in 1990 to build and open optical departments within Walmart in the U.S. and internationally as well as other optical retail acquisitions in the ‘90s. 

Scott subsequently began a long-term role as vice president of U.S. merchandising for The Luxottica Group known at the time as Avant Garde Optics. It was also during this time that Scott was among the founding members of the Optical Women’s Association, serving as co-president from 2000-2002. She remained very dedicated to the expansion of the organization. 
 
In 2006, Scott left the corporate world and began her own luxury retail business, relocating and operating optical stores in Macau, China and Singapore. Initially these were part of a company called New Lunettes Group Ltd., and then the business there was further developed under the jeanscott retail name. In her free time there, she gave much work to the International Ladies Association of Macau, and co-produced their large annual fundraising gala for several years. Her stores enjoyed tremendous success between 2008-2016, but she eventually returned to the U.S. to begin her next great adventure. 

This was in Texas where she met and wed her beloved Lewis Snyder, and together they forged a new future under the Noble Fleece Alpacas banner. Together, they raised show-quality alpacas—winning countless awards and breeding their precious animals with other alpaca owners around the country. Scott had an amazing ability to “speak” to her alpacas and took great joy in educating everyone who wanted to know more about her precious animals.
 
Ever the global traveler, Scott visited countries extensively across most every continent. She also found much happiness in her dogs Bijou, Jewel, and Thor who is nationally ranked—all Belgian Tervurens.
 
Scott was preceded in death by her mother (2012) and father (2023). She leaves behind her husband, Lewis, and stepdaughters Jaclyn Styer (Brad) and Whitley Francis (Benjamin), along with siblings Doug (Lura), Karen Landis (Bryan) and Bruce (Sheila). She was always a popular aunt to many of her nieces and nephews, including Brandi Hurlbut (Phillip), Kristin Scott, Carter Landis, Valerie Landis, Rachel Landis, Austin Scott and Sydney Scott (Chance Dial).  

A memorial service is pending and will be held in early spring in Texas. The family has posted its own obituary for Scott here, where visitors can post to a tribute wall.