Dick Stroud Shihan passed away peacefully in his sleep at the age of 82 on May 30 while on a two-week trip to Japan with his wife and friends.
Stroud Sensei was a dedicated lifelong student of M. Kanai Shihan after starting aikido in Boston during the 1960s. He founded the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Aikido Club in the mid-70s and trained and mentored thousands of aikidoka, many of whom have gone on to become outstanding yudansha.
He was also widely known and admired in the art world. A prodigious artist, his works can be found in museums and private collections around the world. Stroud Sensei was a distinguished educator of fine arts at many museums and universities, as well as at special institutions such as the Charles River Creative Arts Camp in Dover, MA where a scholarship fund for children will be created in his memory.
A memorial training is tentatively scheduled for Saturday September 12 at the New England Aikikai.
