Sensei Dick Stroud, Shihan, passed away peacefully in his sleep on May 30 while on a two-week trip to Japan with his wife and friends. Having started aikido in Boston in the 1960's, Stroud Shihan remained a dedicated lifelong student of M. Kanai Shihan. He founded the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Aikido Club in the mid-70s and trained and mentored thousands of aikidoka, many whom have gone on to become outstanding yudansha in their own right.
He was also widely known and admired in the arts world. A prodigious artist, his works can be found in museums and private collections around the world. Stroud Shihan was a distinguished educator of fine arts at many museums and schools of higher education as well as at lesser-known but special institutions such as the Charles River Creative Arts Camp in Dover MA. He was also one of the founders of the New School in Taos, NM.