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Larry Stout was a down-to-earth guy who enjoyed tinkering with cars and serving the Lord. 
Larry, 72, died February 21 at the Johnson City Medical Center, and he leaves behind a host of friends, many of them members of his church and the Carter County Car Club.
Larry loved his church, Harvest Baptist Church, and was never hesitant to share his testimony. He had served the church as music director for a number of years and had enjoyed several mission trips with the congregation.
His son, Doug, shared that Larry was a survivor. “He fought the odds all his life. At one time he was hospitalized for three months and was in rehabilitation for eight months after an accident at the old Bemberg plant. He always credited the Lord and prayer for getting him through the hard patches in his life. My dad was a survivor. He had a strong faith,” Doug shared.
Larry retired as a fork lift operator with Wrenn Handling of Knoxville. Aside from his family and his church, Larry’s favorite thing was old cars — from driving them to working on them, and owning a prized Chevy. He tinkered with cars all his life and was a star mechanic for years. His garage was a second home to him,” said Doug, who was quick to note his father was a “Chevy man.”
Larry collected cars, among which his favorite was a 1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air, which he had owned for about 40 years. “He had a few cars worth more than it, but that was his favorite. Among his other favorites was a 1954 Chevy truck. He spent a lot of time in his garage with those cars,” said Doug.
“He also spent a lot of time with friends in the Carter County Car Club. He enjoyed meeting up with them on Saturday in the downtown, socializing with them and talking cars. He loved those guys,” Doug added.
In addition to attending the car shows, Larry enjoyed meeting up with friends at McDonald’s for coffee.
A few months ago, Larry contacted COVID-19, however, his symptoms weren’t severe.
In addition to the accident at the Bemberg plant, Larry had suffered a bout with cancer and kidney failure and had overcome each one. “In every case he credited the power of prayer and God for bringing him through each illness,” said Doug.
Doug, who lives in Abingdon, Va., said when he visited, his father enjoyed grilling a steak. Larry’s wife of 49 years, Patricia, died in 2018.
Larry grew up off the Coal Chute Road, the son of Gilbert and Anness Stout. He leaves behind two brothers, Gary and Tom, and a sister, Phyllis.
“My dad was a wonderful man, and he’s going to be missed by his church family. He gave his all in service to the Lord and to his friends,” said Doug.
This year’s car show will be a little different when it opens in April. Gone will be Larry, plus two of his car show friends, Ron McCloud and Roger Ledford. Both McCloud and Ledford died recently from COVID-19.