MEBANE, N.C. – Former North Carolina Gov. Bob Scott’s funeral is being held near his family farm in Alamance County and a delegation of former governors will attend.

The 79-year-old Scott died Friday after a period of declining health. The funeral is scheduled Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Hawfields Presbyterian Church.

Gov. Beverly Perdue will lead a delegation of former governors: Mike Easley, Jim Hunt and Jim Holshouser.

Scott served as governor from 1969 to 1973 and was state community college system president from 1983 to 1994. He was the son of a former governor and U.S. senator.

During his administration, Scott helped push through the first retail tax on cigarettes at a time when tobacco was still king in North Carolina. The tax helped finance the first public kindergartens in the state.