Clifton C. Stroud II, 60, mesmerizing organist and aviation specialist

Mr. Stroud died Wednesday, July 12, of cancer in Fauquier Hospital in Warrenton, Va.

The William Penn Charter School graduate lived in Devon from 1980 to 2003, and had a distinguished career in aviation marketing and communications as an editor, writer, and public relations executive.

But he was equally well-known in music circles as an accomplished church organist and choral director who took the bench for his first position at age 14. He held numerous music posts at prominent churches in Washington and Philadelphia, including St. Asaph's Episcopal Church in Bala Cynwyd.

Most recently, he served as the organist at Warrenton United Methodist Church. He had moved to Fauquier County in 2003.

Mr.  Stroud performed three times at the Washington National Cathedral, including in 1997 when he gave a solo organ recital.

In 1998, though, he recorded what one reviewer called a thrilling rendition of the hymn "Abide With Me" on compact disc. The recording was made as he played the historic, 33,000-pipe organ in Convention Hall.  It was only the third recording on the giant instrument since the completion of its installation in 1932, wrote Will Scarboro, an organ historian and church organist based in Melbourne, Fla.

"Out of all the organ recordings that I have listened to over the years, this one has to rank in the top five, most amazing category," Scarboro wrote in liner notes for the CD.

"As Clifton Stroud plays the hymn `Abide With Me,' the first verse starts with no pedal, and the hymn progresses through the four verses and crescendos until the last verse, in which full organ is reached," Scarboro wrote. (The YouTube recording cited below is best heard at full volume, from 1:47 to 3:17.)

Mr. Stroud taught organ and piano privately and served as a board member of the Northern Virginia chapter of the American Guild of Organists. He served on the board of directors for the Kennett Symphony Orchestra. When news of his death circulated in the Philadelphia area, a former neighbor of Mr. Stroud on Devon State Road posted his recollections online.

"When I think of Clif, I remember his quick wit, an infectious laugh, a couple teenage adventures, his musical talent, and his knowledge, which was such a strong influence on my life," wrote Chip Nicol. "I find comfort in the thought that heaven just received one fantastic keyboardist and renaissance man to charm the heavenly hosts."

As an aviation communications specialist, Mr. Stroud contributed to aviation journals, was employed by the federal government, and spoke and wrote with authority on behalf of aviation trade associations.

Among the subjects he tackled were airline charter trends, the addition of broadband as an amenity to airline travel, and the Next Generation Air Transportation System, which aims to substitute satellites for radar and radio communication as the basis for the country's air traffic control system.

For the last decade, he had operated a consulting firm, Aviation Marketing Communications, from his home in Virginia. He worked until several days before he died, said his brother, Harold W. Stroud Sr.

"I worked in the aviation industry with Clif for many, many years," said colleague Cassandra Bosco in an online remembrance. "He was a talented, caring person and a wonderful colleague. We will all miss him."

During leisure time, Mr. Stroud enjoyed spending time with family, listening to Bach and singer-songwriter Elton John, and walking the sands of North Carolina's Outer Banks.

He once surprised a friend, aviation photographer Chris Sorenson, by showing up astride a motorcycle.

"It was a great shock to me — accustomed to his pressed slacks, smart-looking blazers, handsome ties, and that ever-present collar pin — when he bought a shiny black and chrome Yamaha cruiser motorcycle several years ago," Sorenson said. "To have such a great friend, with a sense of humor that seasoned our every conversation, and to have shared really nice experiences in so many different places around the world, has been a priceless gift."

Mr. Stroud married Keith Nelsen Stroud. They divorced. She survives.

His mother, Alice Stroud, an ordained Episcopal minister, died in 2007. Besides his brother, he is survived by his father, Ira Glenn Stroud; a son, Davidson R.N. Stroud; a granddaughter; and a nephew.

A funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 26, at Warrenton United Methodist Church, 341 Church St., Warrenton, Va. Burial will be private.

Memorial donations may be made to the William Penn Charter School, 3000 W. School House Lane, Philadelphia, Pa. 19144, in support of the performing arts program.