Obituary: Kelli Barefoot Stroud
Mrs. Kelli Barefoot Stroud died Wednesday, May 27, 2026, at Kitty Askins Hospice Center following a rapid decline in health after suffering a stroke. Born in Clinton, North Carolina, on January 26, 1965, she was the daughter of Carl and Jean Barefoot.
Kelli was a 1987 graduate of Meredith College and a graduate of the Campbell University School of Law in 1990. She represented the Beaufort County Department of Social Services for two years before moving to Kinston. Kelli worked briefly at Caswell Center in administration before joining the staff of Lenoir Community College where she advised the president on legal matters and taught law related courses.
After recovering from a brain tumor in 1998, Kelli worked as a full-time wife and mother and volunteered in the community and at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church. Kelli was bright, funny, and social. She loved her family, the Clinton girls, law school friends, and church friends.
Kelli is survived by her husband of 34 years, Stuart L. Stroud; daughter, Mary Stuart Stroud; mother, Jean N. Barefoot; brothers, Rickey Barefoot and wife Dana, and Danny Barefoot. She is also survived by many nephews, nieces, and cousins, whom she loved dearly. Kelli was preceded in death by her father, Carl Barefoot.
A service celebrating and remembering Kelli’s life will be held 3 PM Sunday, May 31st, at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church. The family invites those in attendance to join them for a reception in the church fellowship hall immediately following the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are encouraged to Meredith College, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, or the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumer Center at Duke University Medical Center.
Condolences may be expressed at www.taylor-tyson.com
