William Stout

William Thomas Stout

1921-2020

If you never met Bill Stout, he was like Walter Matthau in the movies.

To the rest of us, he was Bill, Uncle Bill, Papa Bill, or Grandad.

Still spry at 98, Bill passed away in Orlando, FL on 19 January 2020.

Bill was born on 19 October 1921 to Clyde and Julia (Fearon) Stout in Rockville, MD. Ten years later, Bill’s sister Mary Anderson Stout (now Jacobs) was born.

In June 1939, Bill graduated from Berwick High School in Berwick, PA. Three months later, he began attending Pennsylvania State College (which is now called Penn State). He attended Penn State from 1939 to 1941, and again from 1947 to 1949. He graduated with a B.A. in 1949.

During World War Two, he worked in two war plants in Berwick, PA, including the American Car and Foundry Company plant. Then, from October 1945 to March 1947, he served as a corporal in the U.S. Army. He was awarded both the Army of Occupation Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.

After graduating from Penn State in 1949, Bill started working for IBM in September 1950. In 1962, he transferred to IBM’s branch office in Orlando. He continued working there until he retired in January 1991.

In 1965, Bill met the love of his life, Mary Anne (Gray) Schwind, 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.

Bill inherited four stepchildren: Gretchen Schwind Johnson (now Robinson); William Gray Schwind; Mary Anne Schwind (now Pitman); and Nancy Katherine Schwind (now Haisten). After their father, William Steuer Schwind, passed away in 1982, Bill was their dad.

Bill and Mary Anne had a great marriage. They were charming, outgoing and fun. They enjoyed traveling, and took one memorable trip to England in 1984. Bill insisted on renting a car, and Mary Anne later said that they spent most of their vacation getting from point A to point B. They also loved spending time with Bill’s niece and two great-nieces, as well as their 10 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.

Bill was an Episcopalian. He and Mary Anne often attended the Cathedral Church of Saint Luke in Orlando.

Bill was also a character. He was the kind of guy who went to the store to get a loaf of bread, and came back three hours later—without the bread. He enjoyed fishing, golfing, and reading mysteries. He was also very funny. Once, when he was about to take two of his young grandsons fishing, one of them asked him, “What’s biting, Grandad?” Bill said, “The mosquitoes.”

Bill will be missed. Those of us who knew him have many happy memories of him.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, 1 February 2020 at 11 a.m. at Greenwood Cemetery, 1603 Greenwood Street, Orlando, FL 32801 In lieu of flowers, contributions in Bill’s memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.

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