BJ Scott, Brooklet, Georgia
Bobbie Jean Taylor Scott, lovingly known as BJ, passed away peacefully at the age of 82 on February 5, 2025, in Savannah, Georgia. Born on August 30, 1942, in Savannah, she was the cherished daughter of Clyde Gene and Cornelia Gladys Kendrick Taylor.
BJ spent her early childhood in Savannah before moving to Stilson, Georgia, at the age of seven to live with her grandmother. She graduated from Southeast Bulloch High School in 1960. Georgia Southern University could not keep this adventurous soul’s attention for long so she gave her saddle oxfords and books to her dear friend Bunny and headed to Charleston, SC. There she met Frank Wayne Butler, who became a lifelong friend and James Richard “Big Mac” McDaniel, a naval seaman whom she fell in love and married. This union produced a beautiful baby girl, Chantel, in the spring of 1964. With her husband out to sea for long periods of time, BJ and her daughter moved to Daytona Beach, FL, where she earned her cosmetology license from Daytona Beauty School in 1965.
While in Florida, BJ worked at the Castaway Hotel and sold beauty supplies throughout Florida. Always involved in making others feel and look good, BJ made a splash with Ron Rice and the Hawaiian Tropic swimsuit models. She swore she sold his first bottles of tanning oil in 1969! Generously she gave her time to support charities such as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and volunteered at Daytona Speedway with the Shriners during the times of Richard Petty and Buddy Baker! She also selflessly assisted senior citizens in any way she could, a passion that remained central to her life.
Returning to Bulloch County in 1976, she built a successful beauty shop, Styles by BJ: Best Little Hair House in Georgia, which became a beloved local business. Beyond her work as a hairstylist, she continued to serve her community by providing transportation for medical appointments, delivering groceries and prescriptions, and helping seniors in times of need.
Her lifelong dedication to service earned her the prestigious Dean Day Smith Service to Mankind Award in 2010, a recognition that reflected her compassion and selflessness.
BJ was also deeply involved in her community cultural and social life. She was a proud founding member of the Brooklet Peanut Festival, which began in 1988, and she coordinated several beauty pageants throughout the years, bringing joy and tradition to her community.
BJ often said, “If somebody can help one other person in their lifetime, they make life really worthwhile.” Her unwavering determination, kindness, and resourcefulness touched countless lives, earning her the admiration of all who knew her. Her uncle once remarked, “Tell her it can’t be done, and she’ll find a way to do it.”
An avid animal lover, BJ was known for her compassion toward strays. She always kept pet food in her car, feeding and rescuing countless cats and dogs. She even created a sanctuary for stray cats, nursing them back to health and finding them loving homes. Her “wealthy heart” was matched only by her vibrant personality - spicy, fashionable, and full of life. BJ loved hats almost as much as she loved shopping, spending hours finding the perfect outfit to express her unique style. BJ was preceded in death by her parents, her husband’s, James Richard McDaniel, and Carl Scott and many aunts and uncles.
She is survived by her daughter, Chantel McDaniel for whom she thought hung the moon; her brother, William “Bill” Daniel Taylor of Jacksonville, Florida; a sister-in-love, Frances Hatcher Beasley, a brother-in-love, Joseph Blair and her dear first cousin and partner in crime, Carl “Buzzy” Bragg and his wife, Walter Lou, and her precious fur babies.
A celebration of her life will be held on Sunday, February 9, 2025, at Joiner Anderson Funeral Home in Statesboro, Georgia. Visitation will be held from 1:00 pm to 2:00 p.m., followed by the service at 2:00 p.m. in the chapel.
To honor BJ’s memory and love for hats, please feel free to wear your favorite hat to her visitation and service.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or a local animal rescue organization in her honor.
Friends may sign the online register book at www.joineranderson.com.
Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home & Crematory in Statesboro is in charge of arrangements.
