Sitrep 1, Tribute and photograph
It has just (9/5/2018) been reported to me that Chief Officer(E) Norman Stroud RFA(Retd) Crossed the Bar at his home in Italy on 23 April 2018 aged 66.
His Funeral will be held at the Mountsett Crematorium (HERE for their website and HERE for a Map) at 13:15 on Thursday 10 May 2018 and the arrangements are bring made by Co-op Funeralcare Blaydon (HERE for their website and HERE for a Map)
Norman was not a member of the RFAA so details are quite sketchy although I hope to contact his family shortly and will update this page accordingly..
On behalf of the RFA Association I offer our sincere condolences to all his family.
If you have any remembrances of Norman please email them to me at captain.pat@rfaa.uk and I will post them on this page. I am also looking for photographs of Norman for this piece and the RFA Association Gallery and Archive, If you have one please email it to me.
Tributes and Remembrances:-
Martin Stone Writes:-
Dear Pat,
I was devastated to read about the loss of COE Norman Stroud on the RFAA website but extremely grateful that the association had been made aware of his death and duly posted a note on the website.
Norman was a dear friend to us for many years. I first met him and struck up a friendship when we doing our Class One Chiefs’ courses and certificates together at South Shields Marine College in 1987. We both successfully passed on the same day and later that same day headed out to our respective ships abroad, safe in the knowledge that we had both succeeded on the first attempt.
Norman died as reported by the Italian doctor after “Cardiac Arrest” and was found at his Italian villa one to two days after the event as he was preparing to fly home to Newcastle and his home at Rowlands Gill. Norman was such a great chap and will be greatly missed by his friends and family. He had homes in Rowlands Gill, a trulli in Southern Italy (near Martina Franca) and a large cabin in Canada (Aquaforte, Newfoundland). Aged 66 he had left the RFA some 10 years or more previously and was always tremendously busy with his homes, friends, family and classic cars ( a Rover P3 and Austin 7). A very sad loss to us all he always found time to meet up with his many friends during his stays in the UK and abroad.
He was a long time Friend of Beamish and had previously been an active member both maintaining and repairing the museum equipment and exibition pieces, as well as always well up for dressing in period costume and contributing to the displays and hosting of the museum guests and visitors. I have attached two relatively recent photographs.
A tribute by the Beamish Museum Director of Friends (Projects) reads and covers several matters much better than I:
It is with great sadness that I have to mark the passing of Norman Stroud. He started volunteering at Beamish 30 years ago and soon became a valued member of our team, and a close personal friend. He was a quiet and reserved personality but also very good company, as long as Newcastle United were’nt playing to distract his attention. He had been a keen football player in his youth, playing for Tow Law and trialling for a professional club.
Norman’s workshop skills were honed first at British Steel, Consett and later with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The naval influence often showed through – I remember restoration items being marked port and starboard rather than nearside and offside! Many Beamish exhibits owe their survival to Norman and he was happy to work alone or as part of a team.
We got used to Norman’s extended absences whilst he was away at sea and looked forward to his periods onshore when we could catch up on his exploits. After 26 years at sea, Norman retired and, unfortunately for us, split his time between the UK, Canada and Italy. He was a vintage vehicle fan and used his time at home to indulge his hobby. He always made time for Beamish and became a regular sight – cycling, exhibiting his cars and being an important member of the threshing team.
Our thoughts are with his family, and I for one feel privileged to have known him as a friend.
I suspect the above covers how many of us feel. Norman, a gentleman, resilient and resolute he never ever let us down, a firm friend and a very sad loss. Salut.
Kind regards,
Martin Stone (CaptE RFA ret.)
1952-2018