William Scott Sapp

W. Scott Sapp of the Wan Chai District of Hong Kong went home to be with the Lord on January 19, 2019, one week after suffering cardiac arrest while jogging near his home in Happy Valley. He was 58. Born and raised in Mount Holly, NJ, Scott was the eldest son of William (Bill) and Shirley (nee Rogers) Sapp. He graduated from Rancocas Valley Regional High School in 1978. Scott earned a BA in Economics from Wake Forest University, where he was a writer for the Old Gold & Black newspaper, worked for the university’s radio station WFDD, was a member of the Theta Chi fraternity, and active in the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship campus ministry. After graduating in 1982 Scott spent an additional semester studying in Italy at Casa Artom as part of Wake Forest’s Venice Program. Scott began his professional career in journalism, as a freelance stringer for the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper covering southern New Jersey. In 1985 he was selected for the National Broadcasting Company’s highly-competitive Page Program at the network’s corporate headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York. After completing the initial 12-month rotation Scott was promoted to Manager of the East Coast Page Program, a position he held for three years. In 1989 he joined cable business news network CNBC as a founding employee. In 1995 he moved to Hong Kong to produce the regional version of The Money Wheel broadcast on NBC’s new CNBC Asia channel. He covered the changeover in control of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People’s Republic of China, as well as an editorial assignment in the Philippines that included his producing an interview with the former first lady Imelda Marcos. In 1998 Scott left journalism to work in press relations with Indosuez W.I. Carr Securities’ office in Hong Kong. A year later he joined the corporate communications department of the Hong Kong Futures Exchange, which was merged into the parent company Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) in 2000. During his 19 years with HKEX, Scott was highly regarded for his excellent editing skills and ability to balance the needs of business journalists to gather information without sacrificing the confidentiality of the Exchange and its members. His dedication, professionalism, and hard work contributed to his promotion to the senior role of Vice President of Media, Corporate Communications. Scott maintained an enduring faith in his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, which impacted every aspect of his life. He was a 23-year member of the International Baptist Church Hong Kong, and also attended St. Andrew’s Church and St. John’s Cathedral. He led a group after the Sunday worship service on how to apply the weekly sermon message to everyday life. He was also active in the Bible Study Fellowship international ministry, where in recent years he led study groups for both children and adults. An avid hiker, Scott spent many weekends and holidays exploring the extensive network of trails throughout Hong Kong and its surroundings. He completed several Oxfam Trailwalker endurance events, fundraisers for famine relief in which teams of four must complete a 100 kilometer (62 miles) course in 48 hours. His interest in travel took him to Mainland China, Viet Nam, India, Singapore, Thailand, Poland, and the Czech Republic. Closer to home he favored weekends in Macau, where he said he was drawn to its slower pace, colonial architecture, and Portuguese-influenced cuisine. In Hong Kong Scott was a member of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club, the Royal Asiatic Society, and the Fringe Club. Scott is survived by his girlfriend Faryn Hoi Yee Lee of Kowloon, Hong Kong, his mother Shirley Sapp of Medford Lakes, NJ, his brother Jeffrey and wife Michelle of Medford, NJ, sister Cynthia and husband Steven Greer of Lumberton, NJ, nieces Virginia Sapp and Olivia Greer, and nephews W. Fletcher Sapp and P. Cooper Greer. He also leaves an aunt, G. Penny Worrell-Sapp of Stuart, FL, and numerous cousins. He is predeceased by his father William (Bill) Sapp. . A memorial service for Scott was held on January 23, 2019 at the International Baptist Church Hong Kong. Internment was at the Mount Holly Cemetery on February 2, 2019. A service celebrating the life of William Scott Sapp will be held in the United States on Saturday, February 16, 2019, at 11:00 a.m. at the First Baptist Church of Mount Holly, 1341 Woodlane Road, Mount Holly, NJ 08060. Donations in Scott’s memory may be made to InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, P.O. Box 7895, Madison, WI 53707-7895.

William Scott Sapp

August 21, 1960 - January 19, 2019