Otis T. Stout
At 100 years of age, Otis T. Stout passed away peacefully in his sleep on September 25,2020 in Pacific Grove, CA. His kindness, sense of humor, and positive spirit had a way of charming everyone around him. He’s going to be greatly missed by his family and all who knew him. Otis was the second of five children born to his parents, Floyd and Irene. He grew up in a dugout house in the Texas panhandle, going to a one-room school house by horse and buggy. As a teenager and young adult, he enjoyed playing basketball and going to the closest ‘big’ town for dances. He met his future wife, Norma Armstrong (Stout), when she was working at the local diner. He invited her to go dancing. Soon after, they both joined the armed services to aid the US efforts in WWII. Otis joined the 8th Air Force and became a tail gunner in a B-17 flying fortress. He was stationed in Molesworth, England and for over 18 months his bomb group led missions over Germany. When Otis returned to the United States, he continued his service for a short time in the Air Force. He and Norma met up in Louisiana while they were both on leave and were married on April 19, 1945. Once out of the service, they returned to the Texas panhandle and began their family. Their daughters Gwynn and Regina (Jane) were born there. Otis always had a way with horses, but it was difficult to find ranch work in the area, so they moved out to California to raise their family. They settled in Santa Barbara in the mid-1950’s. Over the next 30-40 years Otis found work managing several different ranches in the area from Montecito to Hollister Ranch. He worked hard and enjoyed what he did. When he retired, he and his buddy leased some land and got a head of cattle to run. He was on his horse just about every day until the age of 88. Norma passed away in 2003 and he lived alone until 2015 when he moved in with his grandson, Chris, and family in Monterey, CA. In his later years Otis continued to surprise his family with previously unrevealed talents: he could cut a rug like no one’s business, he’d know every domino or card in your hand within a few turns, he’d clean the pool table like a pool shark after not having played in 50+ years, he’d rock a great-grandbaby to sleep like a pro, and up to the very end, he knew what every grandchild and great-grandchild was up to. Otis is survived by his daughter Regina, grandson Chris (Nancy) Stout, granddaughter Nicole Steel, granddaughter Natalie (Paul) Caruso, and great-grandchildren Finn, Owen, Maeve, Ethan, Darby, Reese, and Evan. When Otis boarded a ship in England to return home from the war, he sent a telegram to his parents that said, “Put the bean pot on, I’m coming home.” I think Otis would want everyone to enjoy a good bowl of beans and know he’s at peace.