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PostHeaderIcon RICHARD LEONARD STROMGREN “DICK” of AMHERST, MASS, September 28, 1932 – March 27, 2015

Richard Leonard Stromgren (“Dick”), 82 of Amherst, passed away peacefully on March 27 at Cooley Dickinson Hospital.   Dick was a Professor Emeritus of the University of Massachusetts, and a passionate and enthusiastic gardener who spent countless hours pruning, planting and puttering in the flower gardens at the home he shared with his wife, Pip, in Amherst.  The love Dick had for family and friends will continue to bloom and grow through happy memories of him.

Dick Stromgren was born in Flushing, New York in 1932, the son of the late Carl A. and Violet M. (Johnson) Stromgren.  In 1940 the family moved to Southwick Massachusetts, and Dick graduated from Westfield High School in 1950.  Dick attended the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, majored in Speech and received a Bachelor’s degree in 1954.  While at UMASS, Dick was active in the Theater department, participating in many productions in different capacities – acting, serving as stage manager, assistant director and director.  Dick was also a member of the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), and after graduating from the university, served two years in the U.S. Army stationed in Hawaii as a tank platoon leader.  Dick was honorably discharged with the rank of 1st Lieutenant in 1956.

Following his service, Dick continued his education, completing graduate work at Northwestern University and earning an MFA in 1958.  While at Northwestern, Dick directed the film, “A Better Beginning” which was produced by the Northwestern Film Department and detailed the organization and operations of the Premature Babies’ Milk Bank at Evanston Hospital.

In September of 1958, Dick returned to the University of Massachusetts and joined the Speech Department (later the Communications Department) where he taught the first classes in film offered at UMASS, and later was instrumental in creating and establishing the department’s film program.  His book, Light and Shadows: A History of Motion Pictures, co-authored with Thomas W. Bohn, professor and chair of the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College, was published in 1975.  Dick then co-authored a second book, published in 1984, Movies: A Language in Light, with Martin Norden, professor and associate chair of the Communications Department at UMASS.

After 48 years at UMASS, Dick retired in 1995 but continued to teach part-time at the university until 2004.  Dick was an active member of the Commonwealth Opera and the Valley Light Opera (VLO) for over 30 years; he possessed a rich baritone voice and performed in many productions, and additionally served on the board of directors for both companies, including two terms as president,  as well as lending his carpentry talents to assist with scenery construction for the VLO’s annual fall productions of Gilbert & Sullivan operas.  In addition to gardening and spending time with family and friends, Dick loved photography, travel, and was an avid stamp collector.  He will be sorely missed by his family and friends.

Dick is survived by his wife of 53 years, Philippa (“Pip”) Stromgren (Stevenson), of Amherst, sons Lindsay of Pelham, and Chel of Rockville, Maryland; grandchildren Merissa and Merrick, of Pelham, and Addison and Tate of Rockville; daughters-in-law Elise Sweet Stromgren of Pelham and Selen Altunata Stromgren of Rockville.  Dick was predeceased by his brother Norman and sisters Vivian (Hubeck) and Shirley (Wolfe).

At Dick’s request there will not be any calling hours or funeral service.  A memorial service is being planned  for early May.  The family asks that donations in Dick’s memory be made to the Valley Light Opera, P.O. Box 2143, Amherst MA 01004-2143; or Cooley Dickinson Hospital Cancer Center, c/o Development Office, Cooley Dickinson Health Care Corp., P.O. Box 329, Northampton, MA 01060-9935.  Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com

Service details, Social networking, Memorial Guestbook and Slideshow are available here.

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