Mary Anne Stout

Mary Anne Gray Stout

1930-2021

Mary Anne “Meg” Stout, 90, passed away in Orlando, FL on 21 March 2021.

Her family and friends will always remember her beautiful face, her charm, and her elegance. She was very much the “belle of the ball.”

Mary Anne was born on 16 May 1930 to Dr. Frank and Winifred (Taylor) Gray in Orlando. Three years later, her sister Nancy was born.

Frank Gray was a prominent physician in Orlando, and Winifred was a socialite with good business sense. Although Mary Anne grew up during the Great Depression and World War II, she had a privileged youth. One family photo shows her standing beside President Franklin Delano Roosevelt as he threw out the first pitch at a Major League Baseball game.

In her youth, Mary Anne enjoyed going to the movies, reading novels, and listening to radio programs.

After Mary Anne graduated from Orlando High School in 1948, she attended St. Mary’s College in Raleigh, NC. She graduated from St. Mary’s in 1950, and then returned home to Orlando.

On 10 June 1950, she married Lieutenant William Steuer Schwind in a ceremony held at the Cathedral Church of Saint Luke in Orlando. He had recently graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, and he now began a brief career in the U.S. Air Force.

William’s assignments took him to Texas, California, South Dakota and Puerto Rico. Mary Anne always accompanied him. Their first child, Gretchen Gray, was born in August 1951. They subsequently had three more children: William Gray, Mary Anne and Nancy Katherine.

Mary Anne and William’s marriage ended in divorce in April 1963. She began working as an interior designer in Winter Park, FL.

In 1965, Mary Anne met the love of her life, Bill Stout, on a blind date. It took Mary Anne 12 years to get Bill to the altar. But if you knew Bill, that’s not surprising. They were married on 20 October 1977.

Mary Anne and Bill had a great marriage. They were outgoing and fun. They enjoyed traveling, and they also loved spending time with Mary Anne’s four children, 10 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren. Like Mary Anne, Bill was an Episcopalian, and they often attended the Cathedral Church of Saint Luke in Orlando. Still spry at 98, Bill passed away in Orlando on 19 January 2020.

Mary Anne was a member of the Orlando Junior League, the Rosalind Club, and a book club that was filled with old friends. She loved movies, the beach, baseball, her pet dogs, and the world of fashion. She was an interesting person, a good cook, and a vivacious hostess. She was a wonderful mother and grandmother. She will be missed.

A family-only memorial service will be held later this year.

Arrangements entrusted to CAREY HAND COLONIAL FUNERAL HOME, 2811 Curry Ford Road, Orlando, FL 32806 407-898-2561 www.careyhandcolonialfh.com