Iris Parrish Stout

1908 ~ 2011
Iris Parrish Stout, 103-year-old Centerville native, died Wednesday, August 24, 2011, in her home in Provo, having celebrated an active and joyful life. "To live courageously and endure to the end graciously and gratefully" was her daily prayer.
Daughter to Parley Pratt Parrish and Elizabeth Ann Collings Parrish, Iris was born May 24, 1908 and grew up in Centerville (Parrishville), Utah, surrounded by many loving aunts, uncles, and cousins. She attended first and second grades in the town's little red school house with her Aunt Jennie Stewart as her teacher. After completing eighth grade as valedictorian in the new Centerville Elementary School, she went to Davis High school for two years. Iris graduated in 1926 with honors from LDS High School in Salt Lake City. She received her B.A. degree from the University of Utah with high honors. She taught English briefly at Bryant Junior High School in Salt Lake City. In the depths of the Depression, Iris moved to Washington, D.C. to pursue a graduate degree from George Washington University. During this time, Iris served as the first female president of the Utah State Society in the nation's capital. In this capacity she represented her home state in many public functions, including invitations to the White House from President and Mrs. Roosevelt. She met her future husband, Salt Lake native Clair LeRoy Stout, at the George Washington University's commencement exercises in the National Cathedral. Clair was receiving his law degree and Iris her master's degree in English. They were married in June 29, 1940 in the LDS chapel on 16th Street in Washington, D.C. The following year the couple traveled to their home state and were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple.
From 1935 to 1942, Iris was employed by the Bureau of Reclamation in Washington and Salt Lake City. Prior to and during World War II, she served as the organization's information officer and editor of the Colorado River Report. Following the War, Iris and Clair made their home first in Arlington, Virginia, and then Chevy Chase, Maryland. Iris was active in church and community groups and was instrumental in founding investment and political affairs clubs. After more than 30 years in the Washington area, Clair retired as partner in the law firm Dow Lohnes and Albertson. The couple moved to Toluca Lake, California, where Clair continued to work in broadcasting and sports organizations with Gene Autry enterprises. Following Clair's death in 1981, she divided her time between Palm Springs and her new home in Provo.
Iris was a life-long member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving in teaching and leadership positions in various auxiliary organizations. Throughout her life, she was an active contributor to civic and community organizations. In addition to her service to the Utah State Society in Washington, D.C., she was a founder of The Times Club and The Twenty-One Club, officer in the Chevy Chase Women's Club, president of the Toluca Lake Garden Club, and member of the Women's Division of the Provo-Orem Chamber of Commerce, the Utah-California Women, and the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers. Iris volunteered service at hospitals and schools in Palm Springs and Provo, at the Red Cross, and at This Is the Place Heritage Park in Salt Lake City. She was an avid reader and active member of book clubs wherever she lived. Iris was grateful for her pioneer heritage. Her grandfather Joel Parrish was a founding settler in Centerville and one of the earliest handcart rescuers. Her great-grandfather Charles Coulson Rich, an apostle during Brigham Young's presidency, was an early settler of Bear Lake and San Bernardino, California. He had been instrumental in introducing the gospel to Clair's great-grandfather Hosea Stout, a noted pioneer diarist and U.S. Attorney General for the Territory of Utah. Clair always claimed that their "wedding was arranged in heaven" by the great-grandparents, who were life-long friends. Foremost in her life was her love for family, friends, and church, all of which she felt made her a better person. She believed that her Provo congregation was the most wonderful in the entire world. Her home was always open for visits, and she enjoyed serving her trademark chocolate-chip cookies. She read and traveled extensively and enjoyed winters in Palm Springs for 25 years. Through her example, Iris taught others to be grateful for every blessing in their lives and to express gratitude always. In addition, she truly believed it was important to: "Live with purpose; love with passion; and learn forever and always."
Iris and Clair are the parents of Helen Claire Sievers (LeRoy), Carol Lee Hawkins (John) and Mary Kathryn Stout. Their grandchildren are: Sara, Amy, Jonathan, Kathryn and Charles Sievers; Claire Hawkins Mangus, Suzanne Hawkins Harrison, Abigail Hawkins, and Richard Hawkins. Their 12 great-grandchildren are: Benjamin, Abigail, Matthew, Anna, and Jonathan Mangus; Paul, Elline, and William Harrison; Samuel and Matthew Gonzales; Eleanor Iris and Calvin Hawkins.
She was preceded in death by her siblings: Leah Fleming, Frances Barlow, Weldon Parrish, and Coulson Parrish. She also leaves numerous nieces, nephews, and friends, who were dear to her.
Funeral services will be held Tuesday, August 30, at 11 a.m. in the Edgemont North Stake Center (4560 N. Canyon Rd., Provo). Friends can visit with family members from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the stake center prior to the services. Interment will follow at the Centerville City Cemetery. Online condolences may be offered to the family at www.walkerfamilymortuary.com.