Carter Jay Stroud

Carter Jay Stroud 1937 - 2017 Carter Jay Stroud was born in San Diego, California on January 13, 1937, to John Carter Stroud and Ada Birkett. After living in several states while Carter and his brother Duke were children, the family settled in Redwood City, where Carter attended Sequoia High School, and continued his passionate study of music, both jazz and classical. He studied piano at San Francisco State University, with the renowned musician Vladimir Brenner. He received Bachelors and Masters degrees in Education. Carter taught elementary school in Palo Alto, where he met his wife Eloise, who was teaching in the same school. They married in 1963. After teaching for several years, Carter attended UC Hastings College of Law, where he graduated in 1968. After working in private practice in San Francisco and Merced, Carter began his long and illustrious career in public and municipal law, first as Deputy City Attorney in San Leandro. He became the City Attorney of Alameda in 1975, and moved into the Alameda home where the family has lived ever since. Carter won several landmark cases as City Attorney, an office he held until 1989. After one year with the City Attorney's Office in Pasadena, Carter finished his career with the Port of Oakland, where he served as Deputy Port Attorney from 1990 until 2000. In retirement, Carter turned his attention to writing. He published his book "Natural Selection's Paradox: The Outlaw Gene, The Religion of Money, and the Origin of Evil" in 2008. (As you might guess from the title, Carter was not particularly enamored with the current state of American politics.) He continued to play piano and enjoy live music, travel with Eloise, read voraciously, and spend as much time as he could with his family. Carter passed away peacefully at Kaiser Hospital Oakland on Monday, July 3rd. Carter is survived by his wife Eloise, brother Duke, nephew Jason, sons Eric Cameron and Pierre Vladimir, and grandchildren Caitlin Quinn and Thelonious Nelson. At Carter's request, no services will be held. Please send any memorial donations or flowers to the organization of your choice.