On May 15, 2022 Scott Webster Gara, founder of Cabo Trading, cleared his final trade at the age of 66 at his home on “The Hill” in Cave Creek, Arizona.
Scott was born in 1956 in Hartford, CT to Carol M. Gara and Robert D. Gara. He was hell on wheels from start to finish, and lived life like there was no tomorrow.
Scott’s early childhood was all about catching frogs, riding bikes and playing baseball. His later childhood was spent hanging with the boys, camping, doing Boy Scout activities and picking on his little brother, Kevin. Despite giving his brother some “wedgies”, Scott was elected to the Boy Scouts elite “Order of the Arrow”.
Brilliant at math but bored with academics, Scott left high school to join the Army as an artillery surveyor. He served in Germany, where he perfected the art of beer drinking. Upon receiving an honorable discharge, he obtained his General Equivalency Degree (a point of pride for him) and drove a delivery van for UPS in the Chicago area. One day, a good friend offered to show him how to trade gold and silver futures at the MidAmerica Commodity Exchange. Scott’s dad fronted him a small amount of money to give it a go, so Scott quit his job, jumped in with both feet and never looked back.
Scott’s success at the MidAm led him to acquire a seat on the Chicago Board of Trade and form his company: Cabo Trading, LLC. His specialty was a type of trade known as the soybean “crush”. The crush is a way of managing risk on the futures market by combining separate trades for soybeans, soybean oil and soybean meal.
With his black-belt in martial arts, muscled physique, guns, biker gear and take no prisoners attitude, Scott came across as a bad-ass. And he was! Still, his favorite way of disarming people was with his fun-loving nature, legendary generosity and all-around charm. Scott was a man of 10,000 jokes and always ready with a hearty laugh.
Scott had a deep respect for our veterans and would go out of his way to serve them. Like the time he and his friend Jim “Shoes” Schumacher bought a bunch of steaks, grilled them on Veteran’s Day at a local pub, and gave them away free to any veteran who walked in the door. Scott was a member of the Cave Creek VFW, American Legion Post #34, American Legion Riders and Arizona Patriot Guard Riders (PGRs). He was proud to ride his motorcycle in parade formation to escort the casket of a military member to his or her burial site. The PGRs will return the honor by escorting Scott to his final resting place in Arlington Heights, Illinois.
Scott was a true fighter who relentlessly battled prostate cancer and exceeded medical expectations by living for years after the diagnosis. He could not have waged this battle without the support of his partner, Ann Carlton, family, and a multitude of friends.
The shining light of Scott’s life was his daughter, Lindsay Gara (aka “Sparky”) who died in 2013 at the age of 26. He will be buried with a special thank you letter she wrote him in 2006. Infant twins, Jennifer and Kelly, and his mother, Carol, also predeceased him.
Scott is survived by his partner, Ann Carlton; father Robert Gara; brother Kevin (Penny) Gara; niece Jessica (Joe) Martin; niece Kelly Gara; great nieces Emma and Robyn Martin; and his beloved English setter, Dixie. Scott leaves behind a legion of friends and acquaintances in Chicago and Cave Creek.
Scott’s visitation and funeral will be Saturday, June 4, 2022. Following the funeral service, the Patriot Guard Riders will escort Scott to his final resting place alongside his daughters at Memory Gardens Cemetery.
10:00 – 12:00 am, Visitation (Lauterburg & Oehler Funeral Home, 2000 E Northwest Hwy, Arlington Heights, IL 60004)
12:00 – 1 pm, Funeral Service
1:30 – 2:00 pm, Graveside Service (Memory Gardens Cemetery, 2501 E Euclid Ave, Arlington Heights, IL 60004. Phone 847-255-1010)
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Make-A-Wish Arizona, which Scott generously supported.
A memorial gathering in Cave Creek will be held at a future date.
