Dr. Roland Scott Nolan, of Aptos, died Jan. 25, at age 77, while in hospice in Santa Cruz.
Nolan, his preferred name, was born in Goodland, Kansas, on March 4, 1947, and lived with his parents, Roland Orn Scott Jr. and Marion Louise (Graves) Scott, on their ranch near Mount Sunflower in Wallace County, Kansas.
Nolan’s birth name was Roland Orn Scott, III. His father, Junior Scott, was killed in a mid-air collision with another plane while 3-year-old Nolan and his mother, Marion, watched as he was flying over their Wallace County ranch, attaining solo hours to acquire his private pilot’s license, on April 30, 1950.
Marion married William “Bill” Nolan, a few years later, following the tragic death of Bill’s family. After marriage they opened a grocery store in Sharon Springs, Kansas; Bill was elected Wallace County Sheriff and Marion was elected County Superintendent. The family moved to Lawence, Kansas, where Marion and Bill received degrees from the University of Kansas, later becoming professors at University of Western Kentucky.
Nolan received a B.S. in Zoology, with honors, from University of Kansas in 1969. He received a Ph.D. in Marine Biology from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California – San Diego in 1975.
Nolan specialized in coral reef ecology, building artificial study reefs in the lagoon of Enewetak Atoll in Micronesia. He conducted post-doctoral research at University of Hawaii and was a research associate in computer engineering and biology, at University of California – Santa Cruz.
A visionary, a futurist and a dreamer, after completing his degree at Scripps, Nolan founded an environmental consulting firm on the Big Island of Hawaii and an advanced technology marine shrimp hatchery and farm on Molokai, which led to the formation of the Island Shrimp Shop in Encinitas, California, and the North Shore Seafood Company in Ketchum, Idaho.
He conducted numerous environmental studies and impact statements; produced a national educational TV series on salmon populations.
As an author, Nolan wrote a series of novels, including the Metamorphosis Chronicles which explore the impacts of technology upon human longevity, the environment and society; and the Seacliff Chronicles, which document the dynamic nature of Seacliff Beach in Aptos.
Since 1994 Nolan lived near the sunken ship at the end of the pier in Seacliff Beach, his favorite place in the world, where he loved to spend his days working out, running, and writing.
When growing up, Nolan was very fond of his Grandma Scott and would visit her in Goodland, Kansas, when he was in college.
Nolan was preceded in death by his parents, his grandparents, his uncles and aunts – Roy & Bernadine Scott and Virgil Allen & Berna Scott, and three cousins.
He is survived by his cousins, Dorothy (Scott) Brison and Anita (Scott) Ray in Missouri, Paula (Scott) Korbe in Kansas and Rebecca (Scott) Coleman and Virgil Scott Jr. in Colorado.
Nolan is also survived by his forever friend, Julie Adams, who gave him love and support. Gratitude is expressed to Susan Gomon for her support and to Glynis Marcantel, director of nursing at Redwood Grove, for her very kind care of Nolan.
Nolan will be remembered for many things, especially his desire to improve the world where we all live.
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Memorial contributions may be sent to the facility where Nolan was in hospice: Redwood Grove Post Acute, 2990 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz, CA 95062.