Beverly Jane Balanis
July 11, 1931-Aug. 4, 2026
Menlo Park, California/USA

Beverly Jane (Stout) Balanis, an award-winning Bay Area artist and arts leader, passed away on August 4 after a long illness. She was 95, and had just celebrated that milestone birthday with close family friends.

Beverly, born in 1931, was the daughter of Edgar and Carmen (Cota) Stout. She was raised in Belding, Michigan, where her academic excellence became evident at an early age. She graduated as Valedictorian of the Belding High School Class of 1949.

Following high school, Beverly attended Michigan State University, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1953. During her time on campus, she served as Chapter President of Alpha Xi Delta and was later recognized with the sorority’s Order of the Diamond for her 75 years of membership. Her interest in fine arts first coalesced into a career and calling at Michigan State.

Over time, Beverly cultivated her intellect and talents into a career as an artist and an arts community leader. She was an award-winning water color artist whose work was selected for dozens of individual and group exhibitions throughout the Peninsula. She volunteered as a docent at Stanford University’s Cantor Arts Center, eventually running the entire docent program. She also served as President of the Menlo Art League and was actively involved in the city’s well-known Allied Arts Guild as both an artist and volunteer leader.

Bev’s love story with her beloved husband, Frank Balanis, began with a chance meeting on a double date. The two were wed on June 20, 1964, in Queens, New York, beginning a marriage filled with love, companionship, and a shared passion for travel, fine dining and gourmet cooking, and exceptional hosting and hospitality. After time on the East Coast and in Santa Barbara, the couple settled in Menlo Park, where they became well-known for their cocktail parties and picture-perfect gourmet dinners. The couple helped lead the AAUW’s local Gourmet Group, a monthly gathering of friends, cooking, and fine dining, for almost two decades.

Warm, wry, and whip-smart, Beverly was an avid reader, a knowledgeable collector of Native American art from the Southwest, a patron of the San Francisco Symphony, a world traveler, and an unbeatable Scrabble champion who matched word wits against her husband in a game almost every evening. She was also a beloved auntie and mentor to the children of her many friends, who cherished her company and helped care for her in her later years.

Beverly was preceded in death by her beloved parents, her husband Frank; and her brother, Richard Stout. She is lovingly remembered by her sister-in-law, Sally (Stout) Kern; her nephews, Dane Stout, Rick Stout, and Rex Stout; and her niece, Dawn Stout. Beverly’s legacy is also treasured by her many close Menlo Park friends, including the Smith, Lynch, Norby, Negrin, Amsbaugh, and Reist families. Those wishing to honor Beverly’s memory may wish to consider a donation to the Friends of Allied Arts.

Tags: arts/media, public service