Paid Notice: Ralph Stout, a painter and photographer living in Greenport, died at home with his family on Monday, July 20th.
Ralph was born in 1938 in Trenton, NJ. His mother, Marion Kehr, a nurse, died when he was only 4 years old. Ralph was cared for by both of his grandparents in Trenton during his early childhood. In 1946, his father, Ralph “Bub” Stout, remarried Betty Ege and the family soon moved to nearby Ewing Township, where he grew up with his two siblings.
Ralph was a passionate painter in his youth and wanted to pursue a career in the arts, but was encouraged by his father to take a more practical route. After graduating from Bucknell University in 1960 with a degree in Mathematics, he worked at Educational Testing Service, where he learned to program computers. He was an early adopter in a growing field. Hoping to pursue an advanced degree in mathematics, he studied at NYU, but dropped out after a year. Instead, he went on to work as a computer programmer for Advanced Computer Techniques Corporation, a fledgling computer consulting firm, where he remained for 18 formative years.
He and his wife, Sally, met at Bucknell and were married in NYC on Sept 7, 1962. They moved to an apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, where their two daughters were born. His successful career in computer science brought him and his family to Paris in the early 70’s, where he led a developmental project for Compagnie des Machines Bull. They lived there for five happy years. Throughout his career, art has been at the center of his life and a daily activity; whether drawing on the New York Times during his daily commute or walking the streets of Paris with his Leica camera. His artwork reflects a lifelong attention to natural forms and mathematical patterns found in nature; a combination of his two passions.
In 1976, Ralph and his family returned to the States and moved to East Hampton, NY where they renovated a converted barn near Three Mile Harbor. He wrote computer languages from his home office, long before telecommuting was common. His art studio doubled as the family den and a gymnastics studio for his daughters. In 2006, he retired to Hudson, NY, where he was finally able to devote himself full time to painting and drawing. Ralph became an accomplished abstractionist. His paintings on canvas exploit the visual tension between the foreground and the background of an image and tend to be colorful and hard-edged. His works on paper reveal a draftsman’s attitude toward abstract form. He has shown in a number of galleries, and has had several shows at Carrie Haddad Gallery in Hudson, NY, where he is still represented.
In 2012 he returned to Springs, NY where he continued to paint full-time in his studio on Neck Path. He lived out his years on Louse Point Rd with his wife Sally and his dog Flo. He was known for walking around on the beaches with his camera. In 2025, he was invited to show his “Commuter Drawings” at the Arts Center at Duck Creek, finally having a chance to share his work with his community in Springs. At the age of 88, painting on large-scale canvases became too big an effort, so he began making tiny drawings on paper. He continued to draw dozens of drawings a day up until his passing, filling several notebooks a month.
Ralph is survived by his wife, Sally Stout, daughters Georgianna and Sara Stout, his son-in-law, David Weeks, grandchildren Fenner and Max Weeks, his brother, Jeffrey Stout, sister, Nancy McKelvey, their extended families, and his beloved dog Flo.
In accordance with his wishes, no services are planned at this time. Ralph’s family and friends will hold his memory close, celebrating his life in their own personal ways. A memorial is planned for the fall.
DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Southold is serving the family.
