Alan Mayne Strout

Alan Mayne Strout, age 96, died peacefully in Needham on May 17, 2023 surrounded by family.
Alan was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1926 and grew up in Washington DC, son of intrepid political correspondent Richard Lee Strout, Edith Mayne, and brother to Phyllis, Nancy, Betsy and Mary. Alan joined the war effort in 1944, attending Cornell University for Navy Training and Mechanical engineering. His education resulted in a BS there, along with an MA in Economics and PhD in Planning from the University of Chicago. While there, Alan met the love of his life, Caroline Briggs Schindler, and they were married in 1956.
Alan and Caroline lived first on Beacon Hill in Boston before an opportunity in international planning with the UN, AID and ultimately as Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institute brought them to Washington DC in 1962. In 1969 Alan, along with Caroline and their 2 young sons, moved to Jakarta, Indonesia, where Alan taught and consulted with several SE Asian governments and universities (through the Agricultural Development Counsel) until their return to Weston, Massachusetts in 1974.
Alan continued to consult and publish in economic journals for the remainder of his long career. For years Alan lectured at MIT in Boston, ultimately becoming Executive Director of the Special Program for Urban and Regional Studies (SPURS) there beginning in 1988.
Alan passed on his love of travel, adventure and storytelling to his sons, their wives and his 4 grandchildren. He had a rich and meaningful life, touching many friends, students and loving family.
A celebration of his life is being planned and donations in his memory can be sent to the Davenport Historical Society, 11790 NY-23, Davenport Center, NY 13751.