Katherine Elizabeth "Kitty" Stroud

Kitty Stroud

Katherine Elizabeth Clark Stroud, known to all as "Kitty," died at age 73 on Saturday, November 27, 2010, at The Laurels in Charlottesville, Virginia, following a battle with cancer.

She was born in Sewanee, Tennessee, on April 13, 1937, the daughter of Gordon M. and Martha Neal Clark. She grew up in Sewanee, attending elementary and high schools there. She graduated from Hollins College (now University) in 1958 with a degree in music history. Following graduation, Kitty taught elementary school in Sherwood, Tennessee, near Sewanee, and after a year there she moved to Richmond, Virginia, where she continued teaching elementary school at the Oak Grove Annex. It was while living there in 1960, she met her husband Robert E. Stroud, who was practicing law in Charlottesville, Virginia. They were married in All Saints Chapel, Sewanee on April 8, 1961, and have lived in Charlottesville ever since. Kitty continued teaching elementary school in Charlottesville for several more years.

She is survived by her husband and their two children, Rob Stroud of Lafayette, Colorado, and his wife, Jenny, and their two sons, Ty and Shay; and Margaret Stroud of Raleigh, North Carolina, and her husband, Will Grimes, and their three sons, Andrew Grimes, William Grimes and Elliot Grimes. She is also survived by a number of first cousins with whom she was very close.

Kitty had a profound effect on the lives of many people. It was always easy for her to meet and get to know many people in the Charlottesville community, and to care for them in her loving way. She was good at remembering birthdays and at visiting with so many friends especially when they might be in need. She was active for a number of years in the international student program at the University of Virginia, making friends with former students from many parts of the world who have continued their friendships through the years. She has taught music in area schools and enjoyed being a regular tutor in the Charlottesville public school system's Book Buddies program. For several years she went with others to Western State Mental Hospital to provide music therapy for the patients. Organizational efforts in support of people included service with the local chapter of the American Cancer Society, the Overseas Medical Fund, the Emergency Food Bank, Hospitality for Foreign Nurses, and Children and Family Youth Services. She was a founding mother of Odyssey, a women's discussion group with which she was active for a number of years.

She had a strong interest in the arts and devoted much of her attention to the development of the arts in the Charlottesville community, particularly music and the theater. She was co-founder of the Piedmont Council of the Arts in 1979 and served on its advisory board. Kitty was an early president and board member of First Night/Virginia. Other organizational efforts for the arts included service in various capacities for the Heritage Repertory Theatre Guild, the Ash Lawn Summer Festival Guild, the Youth Orchestra of Charlottesville-Albemarle, the Oratorio Society, the Community Children's Theater, the Municipal Arts Center, the Charlottesville and University Symphony Orchestra, and Art In Place.

She was an able fund raiser for numerous causes and organizations. As chair of the Campaign Committee for the FOCUS Women's Resource Center, she helped raise more than $500,000 for FOCUS. She served on the Martha Jefferson Hospital Foundation Board, assisting in raising funds for its capital campaigns. In addition to having served as president of the Charlottesville Hollins Alumnae Club, Kitty also was a member of the Hollins Alumnae Board, was the 30th Reunion Chair and the 50th Reunion Gift Chair for her 1958 Class, for which she was presented with the Pat Thomas Bain Award for her class leading in participation in the Hollins Fund. She was also a fundraiser for the Hollins Capital Campaign. She assisted numerous other organizations with fund raising efforts, and was a generous supporter of several theater, music and art organizations.

Kitty was a member of the Class of 1985 Leadership Charlottesville, and in 1989 she received its Leader's Leader Award. She received the Piedmont Council of Arts Special Award in 1990; the Virginia Skyline Girl Scout's Woman of Distinction Award in 1994; the American Cancer Society's Award of Merit for Crusade and Income Development in 1994; the Piedmont Council of the Arts Individual Award in 1995; the Annual Service Award from FOCUS in 1999, and was named Volunteer Philanthropist of the Year in 2000. She was a donor member of Women United in Philanthropy.

Although Kitty was raised in the Episcopal tradition in Sewanee, she early on found her church home at Westminster Presbyterian Church where she was an active member, serving as an Elder, chair of its Visual Arts Committee, member of its board of trustees, and a member of the board for the Church's Organ Concert Series. The Westminster community played an important role throughout her life in Charlottesville, but never forgot her roots in Sewanee.

She was an avid traveler, both in the United States and abroad; loved taking and teaching classes, ranging from ballet and water aerobics to bridge and Mah Jongg to literature and cultural history. She read constantly, was a most hospitable hostess, and always was reaching out to meet and welcome new people as they moved into the Charlottesville community. She had a ready smile and found frequent opportunities for her infectious laugh.

A memorial service to celebrate Kitty's life will be held at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville at a time in the near future to be determined.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Westminster Presbyterian Church Endowment Fund or to a charity of your choice.

Friends may send condolences to the family at www.hillandwood.com.


This obituary was originally published in the Daily Progress.