Welvin Louis Tandy Stroud
1937-Oct. 22, 2008
Berkeley, California

Welvin Louis Tandy Stroud, 71, a former Palo Alto school teacher, died Oct. 22.

He was the eldest son of ten children, born to Bernice and Tandy Stroud in Colorado Springs, Colo.; and at an early age his family moved to the Bay Area. He graduated from Hayward high School in 1954 and then San Jose State University in 1958, earning a bachelor's degree in education. He was active in the track and boxing programs at San Jose State University, and in 1958 he won the NCAA Division I Boxing Championship for his weight class. He went on to complete a master's degree at Stanford University in 1964. He also began working toward a Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley. Following college he went on to teach. During his 20-year teaching career, he taught elementary through college-level in the Palo Alto, San Francisco and Berkeley Unified School Districts as well as California State University, East Bay.

After his teaching career, for another 20 years, he became a lecturer-tour guide for Gray Line Tours in San Francisco. His last accomplishment was as a writer, poet and publisher of eight books under the nom de guerre "Dust." He met and married Fern E. Stroud in 1972, who would be his wife for 36 years. His family began attending the General Assembly Church of Berkeley, in 1986.

His spirit and love will forever be remembered, loved ones said.

He is survived by his wife, Fern Stroud; nine children, Deborah Stroud, Barbara Williams, Mazi Stroud, Alexi Waddell, Precious Stroud, Jontanika Stroud, Fern A. Stroud, Candace Johnson and Carla Bailey; five siblings, Joseph Stroud, David Stroud, Lemuel Stroud, Donald Stroud and Darlene Stroud; and 10 granddaughters.

Tags: teacher/educator