Nov. 14, 1919 – March 19, 2018

 

BATON ROUGE — Services for Gene Morgan Stout Sr., 98, who died peacefully Monday, March 19, 2018, in Baton Rouge, will be 11 a.m. today at Ingleside United Methodist Church in Baton Rouge.   

Burial will follow at Resthaven Gardens of Memory under the direction of Resthaven Funeral Home in Baton Rouge.

Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until service time today at the church.

Mr. Stout was born Nov. 14, 1919, in Gorham, Ill., the son of Ross Newton and Nellie Golda Morgan Stout.

Gene grew up in Clarksdale and attended Mississippi College in Clinton where he met the love of his life, Florence Elizabeth Record, who was attending Belhaven College. They were married Aug. 3, 1943, at Breeze Hill in Clinton, La. Following World War II, Gene and Liz settled in Baton Rouge where he graduated from Louisiana State University in 1949, with a bachelor of science in geology. Gene went to work for Exxon in 1951 and retired in 1982 as a senior staff engineering tech.

Gene enlisted in the U.S. Navy in October of 1941. He first served on the USS McKean, with heavy involvement in the Solomon Islands Campaign. He was then accepted to Midshipman’s School at Columbia University in New York, graduating as a commissioned officer in July of 1943. He then returned to the South Pacific Theater aboard the USS Irwin as a torpedo officer, where he served until the end of the war in October of 1945. Gene remained an active member of the U.S. Naval Reserves until his full honorable discharge in 1957.

Gene lived a full life surrounded by loving family and a number of friends. He had a deep love of music, which came from his teen years as a member of the Clarksdale High School Band and the Army National Guard Infantry Band. Gene had a love of the outdoors, especially fishing and camping with his wife and children. This love of the outdoors carried over to Gene and Liz’s tree farm, which continues to thrive. During his retirement years, Gene was an avid golfer, playing many rounds with friends at City Park and Webb Park. Gene will also be remembered for his affinity for growing beautiful roses.

Gene was a long time active member of Ingleside United Methodist Church, Harlequins Dance Club, Exxon Annuitants Club and the Feliciana Forestry Association.

Gene was preceded in death by his parents; in-laws, Charles Franklin and Anna Day Record; and two brothers and sisters-in-law, Robert Newton and Anne Day Record Stout and Charles Franklin and June Shankle Record and brother-in-law, Durward Boutte.

Survivors include his wife of 74 years, Florence Elizabeth Record Stout; one daughter, Priscilla Day Stout Dale and husband, John Dale; one son, Gene Morgan Stout Jr.; three grandchildren, Clifford Palmer Rinehart and wife, Sally Boyce Rinehart, Anne Elise Rinehart Manning and husband, Walker Edward Manning and Sophie Morgan Stout; one sister-in-law, June Record Boutte; a number of nieces and nephews; and an honorary sister, Helen Tyrone Whitley.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Ingleside United Methodist Church, 4264 Capital Heights Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70806.