Hilda Stoutt passes at 84 | Son remembers his mom

Hilda Stout was the first ‘First Lady’ of the BVI.

The family of Hilda Stoutt — the widow of BVI’s first Chief Minister, H Lavity Stoutt — today confirmed that she passed peacefully on Tuesday, February 8, 2022, at the Dr D Orlando Smith Hospital.

Mrs Stoutt’s son, Preston Stoutt, said that during her lifetime, his mother was known to be the first of many things. She was the first First Lady of the territory, and she was also the first General Manager of the first short-term home/property rental in the BVI when tourism was becoming a popular product in the territory.

Mrs Stoutt, a mother of six, was an active member of the Zion Hill Methodist Church and as her son, Preston said she was an excellent choir member.

He also said his mother will be remembered throughout the Virgin Islands not only as a mother and a wife but also as a baker, a businesswoman, a churchgoer, a landscaper and a philanthropist.

Hardworking and nurturing 

Preston said he remembers his mother as a hardworking and nurturing lady who always pushed him to represent the BVI in a positive way.

“She always taught me to treat people the right way, what you pull out is what you put in. I went abroad to school, and she always tell me, ‘don’t go out there and do non-sense. You are an ambassador of the BVI, you are representing us, your family and last but not least you are representing the territory’. So, what you do out there is basically the vision people will have in their mind of how your people are,” he said.

Mrs Stoutt was born on May 12, 1937, and grew up with eight siblings in Carrot Bay. She got married to H Lavity Stoutt on December 6, 1956.

She was 84 when she died.

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