Brother John James Stout, C.S.C.

Brother John James Stout, C.S.C.

August 15, 1922 – June 14, 2017

Brother John James Stout, C.S.C., age 94, died on June 14, 2017 at Dujarie House in Holy Cross Village, at Notre Dame, IN. He was born in Cairo, IL on August 15, 1922, the son of Harry and Eileen (Ryan) Stout. He attended St. Joseph’s Elementary and High Schools in Cairo, IL. After graduating in 1939, he worked for J.C. Penney Company in Cairo and as a boat clerk for a Barge Line until 1942. He entered the U.S. Army Air Force and serving with the 8th Air Force Headquarters in England, earning the rank of Staff Sergeant and was honorably discharged in 1945. He returned home where he used the G.I. Bill to begin college studies at St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX. He was greatly impressed by the Brother teachers he had and decided to join Holy Cross. John went to the Juniorate in Watertown, WI in July 1947 and to St. Joseph’s Novitiate in Rolling Prairie, IN, where he pronounced his first vows as a Holy Cross Brother on August 16, 1948. He returned to St. Edward’s University to complete his college studies and graduated in 1951 and later (in 1956) earned a master’s degree in English at Notre Dame. His first assignment was to teach the Spring 1951 semester at St. Edward’s High School in Austin and then taught for a year at Reitz Memorial High School in Evansville, IN and was assigned to teach the next year at Holy Trinity High School in Chicago. In the Fall of 1953 he returned to Reitz Memorial High School where he spent 55 years teaching his favorite English literature and writing courses to generations there in Evansville until retirement in 2008. He was gifted in many ways, but his talents where his boundless enthusiasm for his subjects and a forte’ of demanding the very best that each student was capable of giving. His good humor and vibrant personality endeared him to students, some of them having parents or grand- parents who were also taught by Brother John. The Reitz Memorial students were fortunate to have both Brother John and Brother Eugene Phillipp teaching them for a half century at the same time. Brother John was an excellent cook, specializing in the Sunday brunch for those he lived with. He was as good natured in the brothers’ residence as he was with the faculty, staff and students in the school, simply a joy to work and be with. He was quoted as saying: “I consider myself blessed in being chosen for a life in Holy Cross and I pray daily that I can continue to do what the Lord wants from me.”  

     Visitation will be held on Wednesday, June 21st, at Our Lady of Holy Cross Chapel in the Schubert Villa-Dujarie House complex from 9:30 to 11:00am on the grounds of Holy Cross Village at Notre Dame. The Mass of Resurrection will then follow with interment afterward in St. Joseph’s Cemetery. Kaniewski Funeral Home is handling the arrangements. Memorial contributions, in honor of Brother John Stout, C.S.C., to support the mission and ministries of the Brothers may be sent to: Brothers of Holy Cross, Office of Development, P.O. Box 460, Notre Dame, IN 46556.