Ulysses W. Scarver

Ulysses W. M. Scarver, 91, passed away on Wednesday, August 1, 2018 at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Ulysses was born in Columbus, Ohio, May 1, 1927 to Willie Scarier and Gertrude Miller. He was preceded in death by dearly cherished grandparents, Mack and Irene Scarier, his parents, his loving wife Juanita and his son Gary. He leaves to cherish his memory three children: daughter, Suzette (Michael) Dave, and sons, Steven Ulysses and Gregory (Karen); sixteen grandchildren: Mychael (Norma) Dave, Anthony (Michelle) Dave, Steven II (Desiree) Scarier, Ciara Scarier, Rausaun (Africa) Scarier, Farrah Harrell, Diane Lewis, Carly (John) Bythewood, Steven Scarier, James Williams, Christopher Scarier, Garrick Jones, Angelnique Washington, Andre Washington, India Scarier and Tenia Scarier; sister-in-law Peggy (William) Peyton, very close cousins Loredia (James) Byers and Mack (Georgia) Scarier; wife's uncle Lamar Lucier, life-long friends Willis and Mary Harris, and close friend Betty Huston; a host of great-grandchildren, extended family and friends. After Naval service during WWII, Ulysses married his South High School sweetheart, Juanita, in 1947 at Clair Methodist Church. They were married nearly 54 years, until her passing in 2001. They both enjoyed all kinds of music and loved to sing. They sang and worshipped together at Clair, where on their 30th wedding anniversary they renewed their vows completely in song. Ulysses continued his love of music, singing in the church choir and participating in community events that gave him an opportunity to showcase his strong baritone voice. Ulysses worked for the United States Postal Service. He spent 38 dedicated years with USPS as a mail carrier. He enjoyed his work (mainly because he loved and enjoyed people) and received several commendations for acts above and beyond the call of duty. On his last day of delivering mail, each of the patrons along his route tied balloons at their mailboxes to let him know how much they thought of him and his many acts of kindness. Not only was Ulysses dedicated to his work, he was highly committed to his south side Columbus community. Ulysses kept up with current events effecting the community and often wrote letters to the editor, some of which were published in the Columbus Dispatch. After he retired from the postal service, he spent ten years as a teacher's assistant at Northeast Career Center and also volunteered as a reading tutor in the elementary schools. Ulysses was a mentor and inspiration to many. In his later years, he stayed active in senior activities at the Marion Franklin Recreational Center, where he enjoyed playing bid whist and talking about politics and history. He often expressed how important it was to keep active and involved in life. Ulysses also loved to travel. Among other places, he traveled to South Africa and Zimbabwe, where at the age of 82 he rode an elephant, cruised the Zambezi River and witnessed one of the seven wonders of the world, Victoria Falls. For over 70 years, Ulysses remained a faithful member of Clair United Methodist Church ­where he and Juanita married and raised their family. During that time, he served in many capacities, including but not limited to finance secretary, trustee, Sunday school teacher, choir member and member of the food pantry outreach. Ulysses' dedication to faith, family, friends, and community never wavered. He remains a pillar of strength and wisdom in all of the lives he touched.