Earl Scott Golden

February 26, 1959 – June 7, 2022

life story

The man, the myth, the legend.

“If a frog had wings, it wouldn’t bust his ass”

The man, the myth, the legend, Earl Scott Golden passed away on June 7, 2022, surrounded by his devastated family and friends.

Earl was born in 1959 in Olney, Maryland, to Grover Cleveland Golden (father) and Audrey Jane-Brown Golden (mother) and grew up in Wheaton, Maryland. He was a proud Wheaton boy. He went to Glenmont Elementary, Belt Junior High and Wheaton High School. He grew up with his four siblings, Audrey Dwyer (Mike), Gary Golden (Linda), Keith Golden, and Doralyn Fragopoulos (Teddie). He loved them all and had endless stories about his childhood and the adventures he had with his parents and siblings. He also grew up with a variety of pets, including a duck, dogs, chickens, a snapping turtle and tarantula. Needless to say, the neighborhood knew the Goldens! He enjoyed playing football, baseball and wrestling at Wheaton Boys & Girls Club, as well as a Wheaton Knight in high school. He loved sports growing up and would go on to coach and assistant coach his sons’ teams and other teams in baseball and football with Damascus Sports Association. After high school he played semi-pro football and worked a variety of jobs including being a bricklayer, floor installer, landscaper and carpenter. He volunteered for Montgomery County Fire Department in Wheaton for many years and valued the friends he made there. He was a jack of all trades, except electrical work, which he would not do, and plumbing, which he should not have done. He worked for Maryland SunRooms in Mount Airy, Maryland for over 20 years and retired in 2019. He enjoyed hunting, camping, coaching, woodworking, growing tomatoes, smoking meats and putting up his bird feeders for bird watching.

Earl was old school. He had old school values and principles. He loved old music and old movies. John Wayne was his hero, just like Earl was the hero to his four boys, Cameron Scott Golden (Leonora), Brandon Allen Hogan, Matthew Alexander Hogan and Jacob Noah Golden, and his wife of 26 years, Lillian (Nacke) Golden. He taught his boys to love nature, camping, hunting and how to repair just about anything. As a family, they spent a lot of time on road trips, camping and in the woods. Although he was never soft on any of them, he was so proud of and loved beyond measure all of his grandchildren Naomi Hogan, Emma Hogan, Bear Golden, Gunner Golden, Jules Golden, Thatcher Golden, Jonzel Williams-Golden, Gracie Hogan, Marie Hogan, Franklin Hogan and his many nieces and nephews.

Earl hated hypocrites, democrats, anything woke and swimming in cold water. He loved bbq, the American flag, his family and friends, chocolate, pineapple upside down cake, apple pie, his shed and Jim Beam. Not necessarily in that order. He was extremely proud that he quit drinking in 1993 with the encouragement of his sister, Doralyn. He didn’t drink again, except for a shot with his son Cameron at his wedding. He talked to many people about his sobriety and would want anyone that is struggling with any type of addiction to know they have it within them to quit.

Earl would do anything for anyone and loved to be of service to others. You always knew where you stood with him, and if you didn’t know, he would tell you. He was genuine to a fault and wasn’t big on sugar coating (unless on donuts - he loved donuts.) He loved to tell a story, make a joke, have a witty comeback and he had an endless supply of old sayings & dysphemisms. If he saw someone stranded on the side of the road he would stop to help. Rain, snow, on his way to a wedding in a tux, he would stop. If he saw someone ill or injured, he would help. Sometimes that was on the football field, his team or the opposing side, it didn’t matter, he would help. Sometimes, it was a complete stranger slumped over the steering wheel of their car that needed CPR until the rescue squad could get there. He would help. When he was at his sickest, he struggled up the stairs to bring his wife coffee in bed, like he had done almost every morning of their marriage. He had a tough exterior but was soft on the inside. And he made a damn good cup of coffee.

There will never be another Earl. He is leaving a big hole in the lives of his family and friends.

Following his wishes to, “Burn his ass & have a big party”, there will not be a service. There will be a Celebration of Life ceremony at his home, 14716 Harrisville Road, Mount Airy, Maryland, on Saturday, June 18, at 2:00. All of his friends & family, current and past, are welcome to come for bbq, a cold beverage, pictures, memories, tears and laughs.

memorial service

Celebration of Life

June 18, 2022