This obituary was originally published on Rogers & Breece Funeral Home.
Quincy Jackson Scarborough, Jr., of Fayetteville, North Carolina, died on August 11, 2026, at the age of 96.
Born to Quincy Jackson Scarborough Sr. and Stella Christine Scarborough (nee Matheson) into a prominent Fayetteville family whose North Carolina roots extend back to an officer of the Revolutionary War, Quincy felt a deep connection to the history, traditions, crafts, and culture of his native state. He particularly had a deep affection and pride for Fayetteville and a lifelong desire to understand the people, places, objects, and natural world around him.
Quincy possessed an extraordinary intellect and a remarkable breadth of interests. Immensely well-read as shown by the books he left behind, he was always pursuing another subject, another question, or another piece of history. He was a connoisseur of history, scholar, collector, author, archaeologist, naturalist, artist, craftsman, sailor, pilot, and realtor. He was also a devoted lover of classical music and opera, which brought him pleasure throughout his life to the very end.
Quincy was an avid and discerning collector. He pioneered a scholarly approach to collecting, particularly in the field of Southern pottery. His most significant research concerned the early potters of North Carolina and, especially, the Webster School of Folk Potters and the Craven family. Quincy conducted extensive archival and field research and led two archaeological excavations at Webster kiln and pottery sites from the early 1800s in Fayetteville. Through this work, he helped identify, document, and preserve an important chapter in the artistic and industrial history of Fayetteville and North Carolina.
He shared his research through articles, books, lectures, exhibitions, and conversations with fellow collectors and scholars. Among his publications are North Carolina Decorated Stoneware: The Webster School of Folk Potters, The Craven Family of Southern Folk Potters, Carolina Metalworkers: Coppersmiths, Pewterers, and Tinsmiths of North and South Carolina, The Walter and Dorothy Auman Legacy, and E. A. Poe: Merchant of Clay.
He collected other antiquities including pewter, copper, furniture, toys, and historical artifacts. By profession, Quincy was a realtor and builder, continuing his family’s tradition of land-owning and development in Cumberland County.
Quincy was not content merely to study the work of others. He was an artist and craftsman in his own right. He made pottery and pewter objects and created carvings of his own. These works reflected his respect for traditional craftsmanship, his understanding of materials, and the creative spirit that informed so much of his life. He was also an avid naturalist starting as a young child. He was an accomplished woodsman, scout, sailor and pilot, pursuits that reflected his adventurous nature and independence. Trips with his children in the Scarborough Hilton (the family car) to
beautiful corners of North Carolina are fondly remembered. Whether navigating water or sky, examining a fragment recovered from a kiln site, shaping clay or pewter, listening to an opera, studying an old document, or identifying something in nature, he was most fully himself when learning, creating, and discovering.
Those who knew Quincy will remember not only the range of his knowledge but also the intensity of his interests, the originality and independence of his mind, and the lasting pleasure he took in discovery. A drive through Fayetteville with him was a trip through history. His collections, publications, excavations, and craftsmanship constitute an enduring contribution to the cultural history of Fayetteville and North Carolina. He was a member of the Kiwanis Club. Quincy was baptized in and was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Fayetteville; he was active in the Calvin Sunday School class. Quincy was preceded in death by his wife, Betty Cornelius Tew Scarborough; and Samuel Scarborough, his son.
He is survived by his children, Patricia Dianne Scarborough, Karen Scarborough, Lisa Samuel Scarborough Tallet, Quincy Scarborough III, and Paula Scarborough; his grandchildren, Paul Willette, Kelly Watson, Amanda Walworth, Christine Tallet, and Gabby Scarborough; his greatgrandchildren Jaxon and Allie Walworth; his sister Susan Spencer and his nephews Gerald and Marcus.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to First Presbyterian Church of Fayetteville.