Written by me as requested my mom-submitted to Delco Times:

Donald A. Stroud, 87, of West Chester, PA passed away at Paoli Hospital, on December 7, 2010. Mr. Stroud was a 13 year survivor of prostate cancer. He was musical and artistic throughout his lifetime. He taught music and was the musical coordinator (at his retirement) at Ridley School District, Delaware County for 36 years. Through that time he influenced many musicians and gained lifelong friendships. When he retired he enjoyed woodworking and carved many intricate and realistic birds. He enjoyed fishing and his self constructed cabin in Delaware. His home was important to him and his yard was always immaculate.

Mr. Stroud is survived by his wife of 51 years, Mildred, two daughters Carol Samuelson and Marjorie Lourdes; a daughter who predeceased him 1-8-10, Dorothy Rogers; 5 grandchildren, great grandchildren, his sister Jeanne S. Knowles and her 4 children along with other family and friends. A loving and special thanks to Dr. Nat Shmuckler and his wife Joanne for all they did for Don over the last few years. Interment and a service are pending.

I got ‘the phone call’ from my Uncle Don’s stepdaughter that he was taken to the hospital last night and found to have pneumonia. He is very sick and non-responsive. My step-cousin was by his side all night, but none of us have been to the hospital for various reasons. My mom doesn’t want to see him die before her eyes, and I have to agree with her. The last time we saw him, he was a bit out of it and that was in the other hospital. The hours are just going by soooooo….slowly. I jump a foot when the phone rings.

My Uncle is my mom’s older brother by 7 years and only sibling. He was born when his parents were 22 and 20 yrs old. He’s lived through the Great Depression and many wars. He didn’t serve in WWII as he was found to have nodules from a childhood bout of TB. He went to West Chester College and graduated to be the music instructor for Ridley School District for 36 years. He knew how to play a variety of instruments. He loved his mom a lot and would visit her a few days a week on his way home from Ridley as Media  was close by. He liked to do woodworking and I think most of us have something he made either by hand or machine. I have a few of his carved birds which were really nicely done. He retirement in 1981 to travel, etc. He had a motor home that he drove to places like Michigan where he and his wife met a couple who they remained friendly with for many years. Speaking of my aunt, she is still with us but in a nursing home. She’ll be 95 on the 18th! He kept his yard like a park and took great pride in doing so. We had have helped him in recent years, but it proved too hard a job and he was having it cleaned up lately. He is a 13 yr survivor of prostate cancer, but it left him with a useless bladder (from the radiation). He enjoyed watching tv 24/7, but in later years it was tuned on CNN all the time. He also did Cryptograms, if I’m not mistaken and enjoyed his pipe and sweet tooth. In general he is a good man and had lots of pals.

My only maternal uncle passed away around 6:30 pm est. RIP with another lovely person who left this world an hour or soon earlier, Elizabeth Edwards.