Scott McFarland

Scott McFarland, 41, of Moline, passed away, August 2, 2025, at his home.

Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the family.

Scott was born on August 10, 1983, the son of Donald and Karla (Pollack) McFarland. He married Amber at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Quad Cities, Davenport on August 23, 2008.

Scott was a fierce advocate for education and volunteerism. As an elected member of the Springfield School District 186 school board, he passionately pursued initiatives that he felt would improve the lives of all children in the district. He spent well over a decade in charge of Serve Illinois, the state’s major volunteerism arm. He cared deeply about the grant programs he administered and all the people behind those programs. Scott was also fiercely political. He enjoyed getting into debates online or in person. He loved his time in Model Illinois Government and made lifelong friends through that organization. As an Eagle Scout, Scott always had a moral compass that pointed towards helping others and especially those who need help. It was no surprise that at the start of the pandemic, Scott organized a mutual aid group on Facebook, “Springfield Families Helping Families”. As of today, the group has 32.2k members. Scott loved his kids with every fiber of his being; he was so proud of every accomplishment. He was the biggest Cubs fan, as many know, especially with his twins being named Addison and Clark. He enjoyed going on walks on the I-74 bridge with Addison and volunteering for events with Anastasia and teaching her why it’s so important. Scott loved Star Trek, Marvel, Less Than Jake, Ghostbusters, Hamilton the Musical, and his podcast. He also liked to watch Transformers and Godzilla with Clark.

Survivors include his wife, Amber; children, Anastasia, Addison, and Clark McFarland; brothers, Craig (Zoey) McFarland and Ryan McFarland; nephew, Liam McFarland; cousin, Jonathan Pollack.

He was preceded in death by his aunt, Jennifer Pollack; grandparents, Sharon and Joseph Pollack, and Donald and Diane McFarland; and his dog, Cody.

To celebrate Scott, open up any music app that you have and search “Less Than Jake”, then just hit play.

Memories may be shared online by visiting esterdahl.com.