Ralph Stout of Greenport died July 20, 2026, at home. He was 88 years old.
Born in 1938 in Trenton, New Jersey, he was the son of Ralph “Bub” Stout and Marion (Kehr) Stout. His mother, a nurse, died when he was four years old, and he was cared for by both of his grandparents in Trenton during his early childhood. In 1946, his father remarried Betty Ege, and the family moved to Ewing Township, New Jersey, where he grew up with his two siblings.
A painter and photographer, he was a passionate artist in his youth. After graduating from Bucknell University in 1960 with a degree in mathematics, he worked at Educational Testing Service, where he learned computer programming. He later studied at NYU but left after a year and went on to work as a computer programmer for Advanced Computer Techniques Corp., where he remained for 18 years.
He met his wife, Sally, at Bucknell, and they were married in New York City on Sept. 7, 1962. They lived on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, where their two daughters were born. In the early 1970s, his career brought the family to Paris, where he led a developmental project for Compagnie des Machines Bull; they lived there for five years.
His family said art remained central to his daily life throughout his career, whether drawing on The New York Times during his commute or walking the streets of Paris with his Leica camera. His work reflected an attention to natural forms and mathematical patterns found in nature. In 1976, he and his family returned to the United States and moved to East Hampton, where they renovated a converted barn near Three Mile Harbor. He worked from a home office, and his art studio also served as the family den and a gymnastics studio for his daughters.
In 2006, he retired to Hudson, where he devoted himself full time to painting and drawing. He became an accomplished abstractionist and showed in a number of galleries, including several shows at Carrie Haddad Gallery in Hudson, where he was still represented. In 2012, he returned to Springs, where he continued painting full time in his studio on Neck Path. He later lived on Louse Point Road with his wife, Sally, and his dog, Flo, and was known for walking the beaches with his camera. In 2025, he was invited to show his “commuter drawings” at the arts center at Duck Creek. At age 88, he began making tiny drawings on paper and continued drawing dozens a day up until his death, filling several notebooks a month.
He is survived by his wife Sally; his daughters, Georgianna and Sara; his son-in-law, David Weeks; his brother, Jeffrey; his sister, Nancy McKelvey; and two grandchildren;
In accordance with his wishes, no services are planned at this time. A memorial is planned for the fall. Arrangements were entrusted to DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Southold.
