Gayle Goldberg Stout

Gayle Goldberg Stout, 88, of Houston, TX, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, at her home in Houston.

Memorial Service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, May 10, 2024, at South Main Baptist Church, 4100 Main St Houston TX.

A private family burial will take place at Memorial Oaks Cemetery.  

She is preceded in death by her parents, Abraham, and Florene Goldberg; husband, Bob E. Stout; and first husband, Hamby G. Kelpen.

Gayle is survived by her sister, Marjorie Lott; her son, Richard Kelpen, and wife Beth; grandchildren, Elizabeth, Victoria; her daughter, Cathy Brown and husband Jesse; grandchildren, Lexie and Trip; her son, Taylor Stout and wife Leda; grandchildren, Nicholas and Payton; daughter, Courtney Stout Simon and husband Troy; grandchildren, Joshua, Elizabeth, and Rachel; many cousins; and many nieces and nephews.

Gayle was born February 24, 1936, in Ft. Worth Texas to Florene and Abraham Goldberg.

She graduated from Pascal High School in 1953. Excited about the future, she enrolled at TCU. While attending college, she hosted a radio show called “Fashion with Gaylie-Goo”.

After graduation from TCU Gayle married Hamby G. Kelpen.  They had 2 children, Richard Clay Kelpen and Cathy Cay Kelpen Brown.  Her first job was as a kindergarten teacher in Dallas.  Soon Gayle decided to go back to school and get her Masters. When she went into the registrar’s office at SMU she asked- what can I get a masters in with my undergraduate degree plan?  They gave her a list.  She didn’t know what Audiology was so she decided that’s the one she would try.  

After graduation She worked for Easter Seals in Fort Worth.  At a medical meeting in Copenhagen, she met Dr.   Bob Stout, otolaryngologist, from Houston Texas.  They fell in love and were soon married.  Bob suggested that she needed to go back to work.  She always said that was the best thing Bob ever did for her.  

She started a job at Houston School for Deaf Children and fell in love with the job.  

She worked as an Educational Audiologist for over three decades. She helped countless children adjust to wearing hearing aids and later cochlear implants. Her special gift was helping every member of the family learn how to be a cheerleader for their hearing-impaired family member. Gayle was an advocate for teaching hearing impaired children to listen, to speak and be part of the hearing world.

Bob was very proud of her accomplishments.  Through her connections with Bob’s practice, she met Dr. House and Dr. Maddox, who enlisted Gayle’s help to testify for FDA approval for the Cochlear Implant and then develop the needed curriculum. This was a spark in Gayle’s professional life.

Gayle began working with Speech Pathologist Jill Windell. Together they developed the curriculum that the children would need to use with this new device.  Her career skyrocketed.  The 2 friends traveled worldwide and lectured educators, audiologists, and physicians on how to use the cochlear implant. They cowrote 2 books: The DASL and The DASL II. This curriculum was used in schools for many years.  Gayle received several awards for her work with the Cochlear Implant and was recognized with a proclamation from the Mayor of Houston announcing Gayle Stout Day!

Gayle was a long-time member of the Medical Auxiliary. She wrote many prayers and recited them for the Auxiliary meetings. She took this job very seriously and studied many books on prayers. She would work on her self-written prayers for weeks.  She said that it was a wonderful experience and Gayle liked how it made her feel closer to God.

Gayle treasured her lifelong friendships from Ft Worth, TCU, and Houston School for Deaf. She was loved by so many and shared her love with others.

The family would like to express their gratitude to Natalie’s wonderful team at Open Heart Care Network and the fantastic staff at the Villages of Tanglewood.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Memory of Gayle to: 

Texas Hearing Institute www.texashearing.org.