Dr. William Stroud David Connor

1938 - 2023

Dr. W. Stroud Connor, a clinical neurologist who practiced in San Jose for 37 years, transitioned to eternal life on February 22, 2023, having lived a full life to age 84. His passing on the holy day of Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, reminds us of our mortality. Ashes smudged on foreheads symbolize God's message to Adam: "Remember that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return." William Stroud David Connor is survived by his wife, Anita (Farmer) Connor; daughter, Catherine Patricia Marie Connor; and sister, Sr. Patricia Connor of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary. He is also survived by his brothers-in law, James Farmer (Melinda) and Robert Farmer (Chenoa); sister-in-law Jan Farmer; cousin Jean Mumaw Ennis (Keith); and Mary Donovan. His beloved brother-in-law Paul Farmer and cherished cousins Joan Mumaw Waggner and William (Bill) Donovan are predeceased. He was born on September 8, 1938, in Wilkes-Barre, PA, to William Eugene Connor and Charlotte Stroud Connor. Known by his family, friends, and colleagues as "Stroud," he flourished during his youth in Lansford, PA, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. Thanks to the support and guidance of his English teacher Miss Ida Wynn among others, he benefited from numerous honors, including being among the first 100 recipients of the National Merit Scholarship in 1956. Grateful for the superb California public university system, Stroud earned an undergraduate degree from UCLA (zoology) in 1963 and a medical degree from UC Irvine School of Medicine in 1967. He pursued a career in medicine because he wanted to understand human beings and improve the quality of their lives. An internship at Oakland Highland Hospital from 1967 to 1968 was followed by a residency in neurology from 1968 to 1971 through Harvard Medical School and its affiliation with three Boston hospitals.Required military service during the Vietnam War made him an instant major in the US Army Medical Corps. As a recruit, he was introduced to the first CAT scan machine brought to the United States and became chief of pediatric neurology at Letterman Hospital in San Francisco. He often reflected, "Those years in the army from 1971 to 1973 were some of the best years of my life." Research fellowships in neurovirology from 1973 to 1976 in Cleveland and San Francisco focused on the cytomegalovirus. He was audacious in his pursuit of scientific inquiry and championed those who pursued groundbreaking hypotheses in medicine. He encouraged patients, medical residents, and even aspiring medical students to believe in their capabilities and be tenacious in realizing them. From 1971 to 1982 Stroud served as a clinical instructor in neurology at UCSF and Stanford medical schools. He loved to teach. He established his own clinical practice in 1976 near the San Jose Medical Center. In 1989, thanks to his newly acquired accreditation in sleep medicine, he founded and became co-director of the second sleep disorders center in Santa Clara County. (Stanford Medical Center founded the world's first sleep laboratory and clinic in 1972.) Stroud's first love, however, was neurology, which he practiced until his retirement in 2013. His second love was the study of consciousness, even reviewing quantum mechanics in his search for evidence of life after death. He wrote, "Science is helpful and important, but subordinate because it is not capable of transcendence." Above all, Stroud loved his family. His intense love for Anita and Catherine kept him with them for a long time. Despite a prostate cancer diagnosis 27 years earlier, he orchestrated medical intervention with the help of dedicated physicians and medical advances. The three of them spent three decades enjoying their Morgan Hill community, weekends in Capitola, and numerous European adventures. Stroud and his sister Patricia had a special connection, sharing their common belief in God and interest in history. He was a photographer and an art collector who enjoyed classical music, museums, foreign films, the 49ers, and good food. Stroud's friends appreciated his calm and reassuring presence along with his thoughtfulness and generosity. His colleagues perceived him as being academic, patient, and detail-oriented, appreciated as a powerful mentor to countless family practice residents at San Jose Hospital. His patients loved him for his knowledge, respect for their concerns, and kindness. For a man who knew so much, he was humble about what he really knew. At the end he observed that "perhaps the main things to learn about in life are inclusion and love." In lieu of flowers, friends might consider a donation to the University of California Scholarship Fund, a local food bank, or Doctors Without Borders. A Funeral Mass will be offered on March 7, Tuesday, at 11 am at St. Catherine's Church in Morgan Hill.