About Us

The Senior Chief Scott DeCoste Memorial Scholarship Inc., doing business as the DeCoste Memorial Foundation, was established on June 13, 2016, in honor of Senior Chief Scott DeCoste, who selflessly served his country for 23 years in the United States Navy. A 1984 graduate of Woonsocket High School, Scott loved his family, his country, and was the ultimate New England Patriots fan and season ticket holder. His favorite saying, "Go Big or Go Home," has become the inspiration behind our mission. After Scott passed away from a short 8-week battle with a service-connected cancer in 2015, his wife, Lisa DeCoste, turned her grief into purpose by creating a foundation built on love, service, and the belief in paying it forward.

Scott believed in serving others without expecting anything in return. Today, that same spirit continues through every scholarship, grant, and act of kindness made possible by the foundation.

What began in 2016 as a single $500 scholarship awarded to a graduating senior at Scott's alma mater, Woonsocket High School, has grown into an organization serving military, veteran, Gold Star, and service-connected families throughout Rhode Island, Southeastern Massachusetts, and Virginia, while continuing to invest in the Woonsocket community that Scott proudly called home. To date, we have awarded more than $86,000 in scholarships, with our impact continuing to grow each year.

In 2017, our Pay It Forward Initiative began on Scott's birthday, July 21. Each year, we encourage others to perform a simple act of kindness in Scott's memory and share it on the Scott's Paying It Forward Facebook page, spreading compassion one good deed at a time.

In 2026, as we celebrated our 10th anniversary, we rebranded as the DeCoste Memorial Foundation and expanded our impact beyond scholarships to include grants and community programs that support veterans, military families, Gold Star families, service-connected families, and the communities we proudly serve.

Although our programs have grown, our purpose remains the same: to honor Scott's legacy by serving others, strengthening our communities, and ensuring that his spirit of generosity lives on for generations to come.

At the DeCoste Memorial Foundation, we are committed to supporting military, veteran, Gold Star, and service-connected families throughout Rhode Island, Southeastern Massachusetts, and Hampton Roads, Virginia, while continuing to invest in Scott's hometown through scholarships for graduating seniors at Woonsocket High School.

What began as a single scholarship created in memory of Senior Chief Scott DeCoste has grown into a broader mission focused on ensuring that no military family is overlooked—no matter when the sacrifice came.

Through scholarships, grants, and community programs, we strive to make a direct and lasting impact on the lives of those who have served, the families who stand beside them, and the communities we proudly call home.