San Marino, California – A celebration of life will be held this weekend to honor Helen Joyce Stroud, who helped found the much-admired Strouds Linen company.

Stroud – who was known by the nickname Joyce – died peacefully on June 23 at the age of 94.

She was working as a flight attendant for United Airlines when she met her future husband, Wilfred “Bill” Stroud, on a flight from Denver to New York. After their marriage, the couple moved from New York City to California, where his career in retail blossomed at Broadway department stores.

In 1979, the Strouds opened the first Stroud’s Linen store in Pasadena. Her keen eye for detail and management skills earned her the position of store manager, and she later became vice president of the thriving company. By 1994, Stroud’s Linen had opened over 50 stores, a remarkable achievement with a successful IPO.

Bill Stroud died in 2003 at the age of 77. The retail company, which had already changed ownership, was liquidated soon after.

Joyce Stroud leaves behind her children Kathie (Portland, Oregon), Stephen (Pasadena, California) and Jeff (Camarillo, California), her sister Sharon (La Habra, California), her numerous grandchildren, her great-grandchild, her extended family and many friends.

The memorial service in her honor will be held on Saturday, August 24th at 12:30 p.m. at the San Marino Community Church, followed by a reception at the church.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Pasadena Humane Society, a cause close to Stroud’s heart.

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