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Obituary for John Thomas Stout
John T. Stout passed away peacefully in the evening on October 9, 2019 at The Village at Germantown, after spending the day with his three children by his side. John T, the son of Raymond and Sarah Stout, was born on January 29, 1923 in Paoli, Indiana. He graduated from Westtown School, in Westtown, PA. in May 1940. John attended Earlham College, where he met his future wife of 70 years, Elizabeth Moore. He graduated from Earlham with a BA degree in September 1943, after enrolling in the V-7 Navy Program in 1942. After graduation, John T. attended Officers Training for the Navy at Notre Dame, and graduated as an Ensign in February 1944. Upon graduation from Notre Dame, the Navy sent John to Florida for small boat training and he was assigned to LST550 as an officer. Mr. Stout participated in the invasion of Southern France, leading the first wave of Small Boats. He returned to the United States in January 1945, and married Elizabeth Moore on February 4, 1945. After their wedding and brief honeymoon, John T. returned to the Pacific for a year and was made captain of LST550 in late 1945, just prior to his final assignment to turn his ship over to Japan’s Navy. John was discharged from the Navy in early 1946 and moved to Boston with his wife Elizabeth to attend Harvard Business School. Mr. Stout graduated from Harvard with an MBA degree in November 1947, and joined Dixie Portland Flour Mills, a family business, in late 1947. John spent the next three years in accounting and transportation working at plants in Arkansas City, KS., Higginsville, MO. and Richmond, VA. In 1950, John accepted the position of Treasurer of Dixie Portland Flour Mills, headquartered in Memphis, TN. Mr. Stout was promoted to Executive Vice President in 1959, following the sale of Dixie Portland to Federal Compress and Warehouse. In 1965, he was promoted to President of the company, and elected to the Board of Directors of Federal Compress. In 1969, Federal Compress sold their cotton warehouse business and acquired Holly Farms Poultry Company, becoming The Federal Company. Subsequently, The Federal Company changed its name to Holly Farms and moved their public listing to the New York Stock Exchange. In 1975, Mr Stout, was made a Vice President of Holly Farms, the holding company, and ran The Bakery Supply Group of Holly Farms as Chairman and President of Dixie Portland Flour Mills, and Chairman of The White Lily Foods Company, Globe Products Company, Rustco Products and Diana Fruit Company. Holly Farms was acquired by Tyson Foods in 1989, and they immediately began selling the non-poultry businesses. Mr. Stout and a group of managers acquired Diana Fruit company from Tyson Foods in 1990, and Mr. Stout led Diana Fruit as Chairman of the Board for the next 20 years.
Mr. Stout was a member of The Friends Church in Paoli, IN. and subsequently Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis, TN. He was also a member of Memphis Country Club, and enjoyed playing golf and tennis with many friends there. In addition to his 42 years of service with Holly Farms and its predecessors and subsequently 20 years as Chairman of Diana Fruit Company, John was also Chairman of the Board of Orange County Bank, a member of The Chicago Board of Trade, a member of the Board of Directors of Hutchison School, The Memphis Food Bank, Harwood Training Center and Plaza Belmont Management Group.
John and Elizabeth were married for 70 years prior to her passing in 2015. John loved his family dearly, and treated everyone with respect, and always took time to help others, especially those less fortunate. He often expressed his gratitude to the Lord for being blessed with such a loving and caring family.
John is survived by his children: John T. Stout Jr (Angie), Elmer W. Stout (Mary Katherine) and Cathy Stout Adams (Michael); his grandchildren: Jack Stout (Kennedy), Peter Stout, Megan Stout, William Stout (Ashley), Carol Stout, Sara Taylor Stout, Lauren James (Dale) Murry Adams (Louise) and Lou Adams; his great grandchildren: Reese Stout, Evie Stout, Greta Stout and Whitten Adams. He is preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and Sarah Stout, his wife, Elizabeth Moore Stout and his sisters: Adeline Gennett, Jessie McCambridge and Sally Jones.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in his honor to Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis, TN or The Friends Church located at 301 N. Gospel Street in Paoli, IN 47454.
The funeral service for John T. Stout will be held at The Friends Church in Paoli, IN on Saturday, October 12, 2019 at 10:00 am with interment to follow at the Paoli Community Cemetery. There will also be a memorial celebration of life ceremony held at a Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis, TN. on Saturday October 19, 2019 with a visitation at 3:00 pm followed by a service at 4:00 pm.
Dillman-Scott Funeral is in charge of local arrangements.
Online Condolences may be made at www.Dillman-Scott Funeral Home.com
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