Friends and family will gather Wednesday to celebrate the life of Scott Janzen. Here’s the remembrance they’re sharing with the community:

Scott Kenneth Janzen, devoted sports fan, consummate PR man, passionate cruiser, and quickest of wit, died on October 21, 2024. He was 69.

Born and raised in West Seattle, he grew up in a modest mid-century home, with a roughly finished basement bedroom perfectly fit for large house spiders and precocious boys. Still, he was able to “sell” his room upstairs to his older sister Sue, not once, but twice. His love for writing and persuasion began in grade school with his first manual typewriter and a regular newspaper he generated about the goings-on in the neighborhood and sports. He was a lifelong sports fan and loved nothing more than to be in the stands or in front of the wide screen rooting for his beloved Mariners, Seahawks, Sounders, Kraken, or Huskies. Even in his final days, he joked, “I always said I wouldn’t go before the Mariners won the World Series.”

Scott considered his dad Ken Janzen (deceased) his best friend, who with the help of Scott’s eldest sister, Sandy, helped to raise him after his mother Marion’s death when Scott was 13. He was deeply affected by her passing. Scott married Cris Benson in November 1999 and for 12 years they made their home in Magnolia with their kittens Sammy and Tater. He adored his nieces Kim and Tammy and his nephew Aaron. While obtaining his degree in Journalism from Seattle University, he wrote for the school newspaper. (of course) Scott was close to his family and made his famous crock pot meatball appetizers on request.

Scott loved all things Seattle. He got excited for every festival that came to town, every street fair and The Bite, which may partly explain why he lived in lover Queen Anne for so many years-close to the Seattle Center, his second home. One of his first PR jobs was with the Pacific Science Center, where he created the “Edible Chair Contest” , garnering international media coverage and his first real street cred as a hot PR talent. One of Scott’s mentors, Ron Elgin of Elgin Syferd, said, “Scott ‘Janbo” Janzen was probably the most creative PR professional in the long history of our company. On top of that, EVERYONE in the agency and our clients absolutely loved him. Hell of a guy: hell of a longtime friend. I miss him a lot.”

For several years in the ’80s and ’90s, he and his buddy Tom hosted an Argosy Cruise “Bop Till You Drop” dance cruise, the hottest ticket in town. That’s about the time his love for cruising began. He sailed nearly 30 cruises, all over the world, and would have sailed more if his disability hadn’t restricted his mobility. He particularly loved sailing to Alaska with friends.

Scott mentored many young people entering the industry and made time to help them out throughout his career. His friends and colleagues thought of him as just easy to be around. “Smart, funny, kind , and brimming with amazing ideas. He made whatever space he was in better.”

Scott died after a long battle with inclusion body myositis (IBM), a rare degenerative muscle disease that slowly stole his ability to enjoy the life he loved so much. Scott would still be cracking jokes today and wanted much laughter when remembering him.

A celebration of his life will be Wednesday, January 8, 2025, from 4 pm-7 pm at Steelheads Alley (formerly Pyramid Brewing) 1201 1st Avenue South, Seattle. He had a close group of friends who are raising funds to host this event, so as not to burden Scott’s family. Whether or not you think you might attend, your generosity in any amount will be greatly appreciated.

If you wish to contribute, please send to Tom’s Venmo (@Tom-Phillips-6) or Zelle (Tomphillips1001@outlook.com)

(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries and memorial announcements by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to westseattleblog@gmail.com)