Jerry Maurice Stroud

Jerry Maurice Stroud, 81, a longtime resident of Mesquite, TX passed away October 13, 2021. Jerry was born August 29, 1940, to Ruth Wimbish and Afton Maurice Stroud.

Jerry graduated from Mesquite High School in 1958. He played football and baseball for the Skeeters and earned a baseball scholarship to Henderson County Junior College. He continued his education at North Texas State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Business in 1962.

His life was forever changed the summer before his senior year of high school. That summer, Jerry met a young girl named Loretta Radney. Four years later, on August 18, 1961, they married in Mesquite.

Jerry and Loretta settled down in Mesquite to raise their family. Jerry worked for what was then Dallas Power & Light. Later it was called TU Electric. He worked in the purchasing department until his retirement in 1993.

Jerry’s love of sports led him to become involved in umpiring several evenings a week and sometimes on the weekends. He also helped coach his daughters’ softball teams and was involved in the Mesquite Girls Softball Association.

In 1979, Jerry ran for and won a seat on the school board for the Mesquite Independent School District. He was very proud of the many accomplishments made for the school district during this time. In 1991, he did not seek re-election so that his daughters could continue their careers in MISD.

Jerry also was proud of the establishment of the Mesquite ISD Education Foundation in which he was a founding member and served as a Board Member for many years. Serving the community of Mesquite, especially the education community, was very endearing to Jerry.

For many years, Jerry and his family were members of Mimosa Lane Baptist Church. Jerry was an ordained deacon and served as a Sunday school teacher to young adults as well as other adults. Later, he & Loretta moved their membership to Shiloh Terrace Baptist Church where he continued his work as a deacon.

Jerry loved hunting, sports, especially baseball, and his grandchildren. You would often find him at his grandchildren’s activities. His grandchildren were his pride and joy, and later in life, his great-grandchildren became the apples of his eye. He and Loretta also enjoyed spending time with their friends, whether that was going out to eat or traveling throughout the United States.

Jerry is preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, Alice Loretta Radney; parents Maurice and Ruth Stroud; brother Bobby Stroud.

He is survived by daughters Stacey Stroud Johnson and husband Keith of Crandall, TX, and Susan Stroud Foster and husband Rick of Kaufman, TX; grandchildren Brad Johnson and wife Kelli of Forney, TX, Sydney Johnson of Crandall, TX, Jordan Foster and wife Brooke of Sunnyvale, TX, Hunter Foster of Kaufman, Tx and fiancée Maycee Zeitlow of Longview, TX; great-grandchildren Callaway and Beckett Johnson of Forney, TX, Collins and Baker Foster of Sunnyvale, TX; sister Barbara Mackey of Crandall, TX, brother Bill Stroud and wife Anne of Glenpool, OK, sister-in-law Sue Lichtenberger of Sun Lakes, AZ, and numerous nieces and nephews as well as a host of friends.