Charles Dwight Stout

Charles Dwight Stout worked his final deal on March 18th, 2019, at age 78. He is survived by his six children, 19 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild (plus one on the way). 

Lucky Chuck, Little Chew, Chucky … whatever you called him, he would answer. And usually from one of three phones within arms reach. He spent a career in the trucking industry, first driving, and later in logistics. Former president of the Alabama Watermelon Association and creator of Trucking to Serve America, he was forever loading the backs of semis, pull-behind trailers, trunks of cars, or grandkids’ bellies with watermelons and other produce.  He was famous for being available at any time of day or night. If you had a problem at 2 a.m., you could call him. To make up for the long hours, he would take naps sitting up in a chair, but when asked, he was just “resting his eyes.”  

He loved classic country artists like Johnny Cash and could pull off an all-black outfit as great as the legend. His black pants with a touch of sheen and cowboy boots and hats were what inspired his grandkids to start calling him Grandpa/Papa Cowboy. Always active, he played basketball throughout his life, lifted weights in his living room every day, hiked trails even after he needed a cane to do so, and was forever down for a road trip or adventure. As a younger man in Indiana, he refereed basketball professionally for 10 years, and more recently, he would drive an entire day (or two) to attend a grandkid’s sporting event. 

He crossed the United States more times than we can count. A classic Lucky Chuck move was to show up unexpectedly on your doorstep with a watermelon and a smile -- if you lived ten minutes or ten hours away. He was devoted to politics and not afraid to discuss it, and he was a member of the Church of Jesus of Christ of Latter-day Saints for over 50 years. Between crossword puzzles, memorizing phone numbers mnemonically, guessing Wheel of Fortune phrases after the first letter, and recalling road maps from memory, his mind was like a steel trap and constantly working up a new plan or deal. He was valedictorian of his high school class in Bruceville, Indiana.

He also made a mean pot of Indiana-style goulash. 

He was blessed with a large family and was known for dealing out advice in any combination of his famous one-liners. Whenever he had advice or had to counsel his children (even into adulthood), they were advised to “step into his office,” which would be any private corner or space away from everyone else. If he knew something or someone well, while discussing it he would remind you that he was “one of the players, not one of the fans.” During times of difficulty he would often note that “in five years we will all be laughing about this.” On the subject of international travel, he advised you to “not eat the barbecue,” which was code for don’t do anything that has more unknowns than knowns. He will continue to be missed by his children Stoey (wife Mary Beth; children Jayna, Brian, and Nathan), Steve (wife Charmane; children Amanda, Iain, Kaitlynn, Cayley, Sarah, and Rachael), Rebecca (husband June; child Mary), Charles Dwight II (wife Kathy; children Seamus, Emma, and Charles Dwight III), Jimmy (wife Victoria; children Asa and Elizabeth), Lisa (husband Amory; children Isabella, Enoch, Ezra, and Creed), and their mother, his previous wife of 45 years and friend, Patricia Williams. 

Preceded in death by his parents Kenneth “Chew” and Mary Stout, infant brother Paul Gene, sister Betty Williams, and most recently his brother and best friend Jim “Uncle Duck” Stout. We expect him to be found in heaven right now with his brother, a stack of dominoes, and a deck of cards. 

We invite his friends, family, and all of the other “players not fans” to come celebrate his life with us, while we "step into his office" one last time. 

Memorial Service and Visitation
Saturday, March 30th – 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
1984 N Old Hwy 41, Vincennes, IN, 47591

Graveside Service
Saturday, March 30th– 2 p.m. 
Bruceville Cemetery
6386 N Davis Rd, Bruceville, IN, 47516

Please send flowers to
Frederick and Son McClure-Utt Funeral Home 
313 Church St, Vincennes, IN, 47591

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