~ IN MEMORY ~
USN veteran, DL Capt. Merwin Fay Stroup
June 9, 1940 ~ April 7, 2020
Friends write us to share this news of Captain Stroup’s
passing: “Sad to report that we lost
another MSY Captain. Merwin Stroup
passed away peacefully at his home in Covington on Tuesday, April 7. Stroup had suffered for many years with a
condition called Frontotemporal Dementia.
Shelia, his spouse, said he will be cremated and there will be a
celebration at a much later date.” Delta
Golden Wings member retired Delta pilot Captain Stroup, age 79, joined Delta
Air Lines 08-15-1969. Captain Stroup’s obituary
is now available online at
Read more of Captain Stroup’s military career at
For those wishing to send a personal note to the family, that
home address is
74640 Allen Rd., Covington,
LA 70435-6502
Thank you,
~ Carol for the PCN
Obituary…………. Merwin Fay Stroup
On Tuesday, April 7, 2020, Merwin Fay Stroup, 79, died
quietly at his home near Covington, Louisiana, from progression of
frontotemporal dementia. Like other Very Important People, he was known by the
singular "Stroup." He is survived by Sheila Tierney Stroup, his wife
of 54 years; his son Keegan and wife, Suzanne; his daughter Shannon; his
daughter Claire Stroup Walton and her husband, Randall; and a sister, Jane
Stroup Schwanz, and her husband, Doug. He was affectionately called
"Grandpa" by his Arlington, Virginia, grandchildren: Kiernan, Grace,
Aidan, Maren, Declan, and Willa Stroup; and "Bumpa" by Devery and
Cilie Stroup of Covington and Tierney, Holden, Rory, and Laird Walton of
Valdosta, Georgia. He is also fondly remembered by nieces, nephews and cousins.
Born June 9, 1940, in Millbrook, Illinois, to Fay and Mabel
Stroup, he lived a farm life doing farm things and was known as
"Buster." That's about all we know of his childhood, as he was not
wont to expound on it. A teacher did write on one of his report cards that he
"never let his studies interfere with his social life."
Stroup attended the University of Illinois in
Champaign-Urbana, where he met Sheila, who, fortunately for us all, did not
cull him after he told her to stop shuffling her feet on their first date.
After graduating from the U of I in 1964, he joined the Naval Reserve and
headed to Pensacola, Florida, for flight training. He and Sheila married Labor
Day weekend in 1965, when he managed to get a 3-day leave. They moved to Corpus
Christi, Texas, for his advanced training, and in 1966, he joined VP-8 in
Patuxent River, Maryland, and flew the P-3A, performing reconnaissance off the
coast of Vietnam during his first deployment. After completing his service, he
promised Sheila he would never leave her again. He accepted a job with Delta
Air Lines in August 1969, and headed to Atlanta for training, leaving Sheila in
Maryland with 3-week-old twins. He was assigned to the base in New Orleans, and
in November they relocated to Covington with their infant son and daughter and
two basset hounds. During his 30-year career, Stroup flew the DC-9, 737, 757,
and 767ER.
In 1972, the Stroups moved to the country where, on his days
off, Stroup raised chickens, honeybees and organic vegetables; volunteered as a
baseball and basketball coach for his children; and honed his woodworking
skills in his workshop. He retired in 1999 to enjoy the quiet life: bugging his
wife, being bugged by his wife, and dining with her at Gallagher's regularly as
a reward for putting up with each other. He also pursued random projects, such
as training donkeys to pull a cart, a valiant effort that resulted in exciting
and sometimes harrowing rides for his three oldest grandchildren. He was much
more successful at woodworking -- producing many beautiful pieces of furniture
that will be cherished for generations, and renovating the Stroup home with his
custom-made cabinets, trim, and doors. Despite sometimes coming across as
brusque and scary, especially to teenagers, related and unrelated alike, Stroup
was a caring man with a soft heart, and he ultimately agreed to every last
ridiculous request made of him, from buying a starter home with no real
bedrooms to building rabbit barns for a years-long "fall semester" 4H
project, to letting ducklings be raised in a bedroom as part of a science-fair
experiment on imprinting (NOT recommended). After initially declaring, "No
more animals!" he would let every homely creature that showed up in the
ditch join the family.
His generosity was immense, but quiet. He never trumpeted
his charity, and just discreetly gave a hand or a dollar or sage advice while
asking nothing in return. He believed that you take care of the people you love
and the people who need you, and he instilled a strong work ethic and
over-developed sense of responsibility in us, his children. We are truly
blessed to have grown up in a house with such amazing, loving, and supportive
parents, even though they made us pick comfrey, do chores, and sleep in what
was really a utility room (because, at first, no bedrooms). We would especially
like to thank Kent Bossier, Stroup's long-term caregiver and companion, who
allowed him to live his last years at home in comfort, with dignity. When the
world is a little bit saner and safer, we will have a party in Stroup's honor,
where we will eat a lot (Gallagher's, of course), talk about eating, and
remember all the funny stories of our dad's life. Guests will be asked to run a
few minutes late, just to irritate him. Donations can be made to the Association
for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) or a favorite charity. Or just do a nice
thing for someone else for no apparent reason.
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