ForeverMissed
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Scott Eugene Cruickshank of Santa Barbara CA and McCall ID passed away on January 31, 2021; he was 58 years of age.  Scott was born to Brian and Alice Cruickshank in Long Beach CA on December 26, 1962.  He attended Burbank Elementary School,  Jefferson Junior High School, and Woodrow Wilson High School, all in Long Beach CA.  He earned his bachelor's degree at UC Santa Barbara, graduating in 1988 with a double major in Mathematics and Economics, and went on to earn his Masters Degree in Statistics in 1990, also at UCSB.  He later pursued doctoral studies in Biometry at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.  

Scott worked briefly at Systemetrics Inc., a division of McGraw-Hill, before coming to the biotechnology company Amgen Inc. in Thousand Oaks CA, where he worked from 1991 through 2001.  From 2001 to the present he was Principal Statistician for his own consulting firm: Scott Cruickshank & Associates.  

Scott's biostatistical career was primarily in anticancer and antiviral therapeutics.  In the early days of Amgen, Scott participated in the development of several high-impact therapeutics including two that treat the complications of cancer chemotherapy.  His work contributed to four successful FDA approvals for Amgen.  As an independent consultant he guided dozens of small startup companies through the drug development and approval process, providing statistical leadership and infrastructure.  One achievement in which he took great pride was co-authorship on a New England Journal of Medicine publication that reported on a ground-breaking advance in the treatment of a rare tumor with a high representation in children.  He co-authored publications in other notable medical journals including Lancet Oncology, Journal of Clinical Oncology (in which he also served as a statistical reviewer for 16 years), Clinical Cancer Research, Blood, Cancer, Bone Marrow Transplantation, Neuro-Oncology, OncoImmunology, and Journal of Immunotherapy.  He also served as statistician on several independent data monitoring committees.  In every aspect of his work, Scott strived for accuracy, integrity, and honesty—both in the numerical data and in its representation.  He was highly regarded by all with whom he worked.    

Scott loved the outdoors and selected several sports activities in which to excel.  He played both basketball and baseball in high school and was a pitcher and first baseman on the Woodrow Wilson High School Varsity baseball team.  After high school he trained for the Ironman Triathlon, competing in August 1983 at the age of twenty.  He was a competitive cyclist starting in 1984, continuing this activity for the rest of his life.  He also engaged in Nordic cross-country skiing.  Scott was a collector of various memorabilia and was an avid reader, amassing an extensive book collection; he particularly enjoyed biographies.          

The aggregate of Scott's contributions to pharmaceutical research prolonged lives and increased the quality of life for countless individuals with cancer.  His determined resolve in fighting his own rare form of pancreatic cancer ended peacefully, culminating a life dedicated to others.

Scott was a loving son, husband, and father.  He was preceded in death by his father Brian Eugene Cruickshank and his mother Alice Schomer Cruickshank.  He leaves behind his wife Christine Carriles Cruickshank, a daughter Cayley DeFontes, and his son-in-law James DeFontes.  Also surviving are his former wife Holly King, sisters Shari Harvey and Kathy Thomas, stepmother Carol Schrey Cruickshank, his dog Stewart, and his cat Zoey.  

Scott was laid to rest on Friday February 12, 2021, at the Santa Barbara Cemetery, 901 Channel Drive, Santa Barbara CA 93108. ‭Funeral arrangements are through McDermott-Crockett & Associated Mortuary, 2020 Chapala Street, Santa Barbara California, 93105 (805 699 5944).  Contributions in memory of Scott may be directed to Hillsdale College (33 E. College St, Hillsdale MI 49242, www.hillsdale.edu) or to the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network (1460 Fairview Ave, Goleta CA 93117, www.sbwcn.org). 

To honor his memory, Scott's family invites visitors to leave a written or photographic tribute below.

A recording of the memorial reception can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9g-ZJ92pYIfeature=youtu.be

A recording of the private graveside service is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbQ0RjcaJS4&feature=youtu.be

February 16, 2021
February 16, 2021
dear christine and family and friends of scott.. i just finished reading about scott in the independant and now at this site.. for decades ive had the pleasure of knowing christine and scott from albertsons/ gelsons.. he was always one of the nicest , most generous men i knew.. friendly and now i see how active and sporting and smart he was. scott and christine you 2 are one of the most wonderfull couples i have ever met and it was a pleasure knowing him.. my sincere condolences to you christine,,. ouchhhh, i feel very sad for your family . what a great man and a great loss.. im at a loss of words, only about 10 years older than me.. waaay to young to go.. rip wonderfull man. christine and caley im sorry you have to go through this.
February 12, 2021
February 12, 2021
Scott, your energy, laughter, and endless patience will remain in my memories and stories as I share your legacy with Oncology Clinical Data Managers for years to come. I will never forget your mentorship and the warmth of your caring for the teams you work with.
February 12, 2021
February 12, 2021
I had the honor of working with Scott at Loxo. He worked tirelessly and made me feel at home when I first came to the company. I will miss him terribly. Sending much love and many prayers to Scott's family and friends.
February 11, 2021
February 11, 2021
Scott and I worked together for nearly 10 years before we first met, neither of us aware of the others history. It was the sort of serendipity that creates an immediate interest and a lasting fellowship. 
As professional relationships in small companies often go, our conversations would skip and meander to past glories, obstacles overcome, anecdotes and common acquaintances. We both became astonished at how close our careers had come to overlapping for nearly a decade, once by missing each other by about 3 months. 
We met for the first time just about 5 years ago. 
We had worked at or for the same companies 4 times and had worked on the exact same drug compounds and trials at different points in their life cycle. It was too much to be coincidence, we are blessed to work in a small and intimate industry, but this was something a bit more than coincidence. 
We both enjoyed sharing stories of our kids and families. 
Poor Scott once got stuck with me in an airport, we were headed separate places but had traveled to the airport together. My flight was only delayed about and hour and a half. His was delayed something like 6 hours. Anyway, he asked if I minded keeping him company…after having worked together for about a year it was only the second time we had met in person, so it was a nice chance to just visit. 
I don’t remember anything of our chat. I suspect we laughed a bit, probably had an awkward silence at some point. 
But I do remember feeling accepted and friendly and a peer; those are pretty special feelings when in such warming company. The 90 minutes passed completely uneventfully, we exchanged pleasant ‘good-byes’ I boarded my plane and went home. 
Two days later Scott and I were on the phone discussing some work items and I thought to ask what time he finally got home the other night. He told me a time but it didn’t register…seemed off. “Wait – did you end up on another flight” …he says, ‘no, after you left I went and rented a car and drove home’. From SF to Santa Barbara….I immediately realized Scott hadn’t needed any company, it was a ruse to see that I wasn’t left alone on just my second trip with a new company and what for him was a throw away decision, has stuck with me for years as a selfless act of genuine humanity. 
And that’s the coolest thing about a guy like Scott – souls of pure intent such as his cannot appreciate the impact of their generosity and kindness because to them it was just what he wanted to do anyway – changing lives by touching lives. 
A compelling thought for a man who also worked tirelessly saving the lives of many, many patients he was never going to meet.
I am incredibly jealous of those of you that knew Scott so deeply, knew him longer than me. I am jealous, but also grateful. I enjoyed a rich friendship and an unlikely comradery for two gents that lived half a continent from one another, separated also by half a generation. Yet bonding over perhaps the two things we both seemed to hold dear. Family. And a desire to give patients hope for a better tomorrow. 
I will miss my friend,
Josh
February 10, 2021
February 10, 2021
All of us at the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network send our heartfelt condolences to the Cruickshank family.

February 6, 2021
February 6, 2021
Dad, thank you for the wisdom and love you imparted on this world. We miss you dearly.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord and let the perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

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February 16, 2021
February 16, 2021
dear christine and family and friends of scott.. i just finished reading about scott in the independant and now at this site.. for decades ive had the pleasure of knowing christine and scott from albertsons/ gelsons.. he was always one of the nicest , most generous men i knew.. friendly and now i see how active and sporting and smart he was. scott and christine you 2 are one of the most wonderfull couples i have ever met and it was a pleasure knowing him.. my sincere condolences to you christine,,. ouchhhh, i feel very sad for your family . what a great man and a great loss.. im at a loss of words, only about 10 years older than me.. waaay to young to go.. rip wonderfull man. christine and caley im sorry you have to go through this.
February 12, 2021
February 12, 2021
Scott, your energy, laughter, and endless patience will remain in my memories and stories as I share your legacy with Oncology Clinical Data Managers for years to come. I will never forget your mentorship and the warmth of your caring for the teams you work with.
February 12, 2021
February 12, 2021
I had the honor of working with Scott at Loxo. He worked tirelessly and made me feel at home when I first came to the company. I will miss him terribly. Sending much love and many prayers to Scott's family and friends.
His Life

SCOTT E. CRUICKSHANK

February 6, 2021
Scott Eugene Cruickshank of Santa Barbara CA and McCall ID passed away on January 31, 2021; he was 58 years of age.  Scott was born to Brian and Alice Cruickshank in Long Beach CA on December 26, 1962.  He attended Burbank Elementary School,  Jefferson Junior High School, and Woodrow Wilson High School, all in Long Beach CA.  He earned his bachelor's degree at UC Santa Barbara, graduating in 1988 with a double major in Mathematics and Economics, and went on to earn his Masters Degree in Statistics in 1990, also at UCSB.  He later pursued doctoral studies in Biometry at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.  

Scott worked briefly at Systemetrics Inc., a division of McGraw-Hill, before coming to the biotechnology company Amgen Inc. in Thousand Oaks CA, where he worked from 1991 through 2001.  From 2001 to the present he was Principal Statistician for his own consulting firm: Scott Cruickshank & Associates.  

Scott's biostatistical career was primarily in anticancer and antiviral therapeutics.  In the early days of Amgen, Scott participated in the development of several high-impact therapeutics including two that treat the complications of cancer chemotherapy.  His work contributed to four successful FDA approvals for Amgen.  As an independent consultant he guided dozens of small startup companies through the drug development and approval process, providing statistical leadership and infrastructure.  One achievement in which he took great pride was co-authorship on a New England Journal of Medicine publication that reported on a ground-breaking advance in the treatment of a rare tumor with a high representation in children.  He co-authored publications in other notable medical journals including Lancet Oncology, Journal of Clinical Oncology (in which he also served as a statistical reviewer for 16 years), Clinical Cancer Research, Blood, Cancer, Bone Marrow Transplantation, Neuro-Oncology, OncoImmunology, and Journal of Immunotherapy.  He also served as statistician on several independent data monitoring committees.  In every aspect of his work, Scott strived for accuracy, integrity, and honesty—both in the numerical data and in its representation.  He was highly regarded by all with whom he worked.    

Scott loved the outdoors and selected several sports activities in which to excel.  He played both basketball and baseball in high school and was a pitcher and first baseman on the Woodrow Wilson High School Varsity baseball team.  After high school he trained for the Ironman Triathlon, competing in August 1983 at the age of twenty.  He was a competitive cyclist starting in 1984, continuing this activity for the rest of his life.  He also engaged in Nordic cross-country skiing.  Scott was a collector of various memorabilia and was an avid reader, amassing an extensive book collection; he particularly enjoyed biographies.          

The aggregate of Scott's contributions to pharmaceutical research prolonged lives and increased the quality of life for countless individuals with cancer.  His determined resolve in fighting his own rare form of pancreatic cancer ended peacefully, culminating a life dedicated to others.

Scott was a loving son, husband, and father.  He was preceded in death by his father Brian Eugene Cruickshank and his mother Alice Schomer Cruickshank.  He leaves behind his wife Christine Carriles Cruickshank, a daughter Cayley DeFontes, and his son-in-law James DeFontes.  Also surviving are his former wife Holly King, sisters Shari Harvey and Kathy Thomas, stepmother Carol Schrey Cruickshank, his dog Stewart, and his cat Zoey.  

Scott will be laid to rest on Friday February 12, 2021, at the Santa Barbara Cemetery, 901 Channel Drive, Santa Barbara CA 93108.  Due to COVID restrictions, the graveside service will be private.  ‭Funeral arrangements are through McDermott-Crockett & Associated Mortuary, 2020 Chapala Street, Santa Barbara California, 93105 (805 699 5944).  Contributions in memory of Scott may be directed to Hillsdale College (33 E. College St, Hillsdale MI 49242, www.hillsdale.edu) or to the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network (1460 Fairview Ave, Goleta CA 93117, www.sbwcn.org). 
Recent stories

Cycling around Santa Barbara

March 17, 2021
Scott took me out twice in Santa Barbara, the first time,  I had just completed Breathless Agony(117 miles up to Onyx Summit) Redlands to Big Bear.  We rode to Carpinteria 
and back through Foothill.  Although I was still sore and tired from the day before, He kept saying ‘You’ll be fine’.  I had a hard time keeping up but Scott would always slow down and let me catch up.  A year later we rode out to Goleta through UCSB to Hope Ranch down to the coast to the 4 Seasons up to the Mission and back to the house.  Of course, again I could barely keep up. At the end of the ride he said, ‘See You’re Fine’. Thank You Scott
Jason Rocha, Senior Federal Air Marshal, National #4 USAC National#3 USAT



juniors high classmate

February 25, 2021
So...just got home from work. Picked up the grunion gazette laying on the front porch. Sit down and start watching Magnum PI (the new version). 

open upped a IPA and my laptop. Then I started reading the Grunion Gazette. I see the obituary for Scott Cruikshank. 

I start to think about Jefferson Jr HS. I remember that we used to have quite a few classes together. 

I think of Mr Rudman’s advanced science research class
I think of Ms  McGraw (?? Not sure of name of teacher) advanced English class

for some reason I associate billy wagstaff, Jonh Waner, Ralph seimen with Scott 

I think I remember him wearing levi cords and desert boots 

I remember as a young teenager my impression of them is “wows these guys are smart”
I also remember thinking that they also were non judgmental. 
it was no surprise to find out that Scott was a biostatistician and researcher that had many accomplishments attributed to him

just wanted the family to know my recollections of Scott and offer my condolences 
Laura Perez Aoki, RN, MSN, ACNP -BC
Acute Care Nurse Practitioner 
lperez-aoki@memorialcare.co

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