Photo by Danny Fulgencio.

Gloria “Dode” Stroud’s parents weren’t incredibly thrilled when she transferred from Juilliard to SMU for a boy.

After Stroud was accepted into the prestigious New York school, they bought her a Petrus Guarnerius violin. The handmade Italian instrument was so rare that the violin’s official paperwork lists every owner the instrument has ever had as proof it wasn’t forged.

Stroud didn’t play the violin at Juilliard for very long. She went on one date with a soldier in Dallas, and she decided it was time to move home — much to her family’s chagrin.

The spontaneous decision worked out in her favor. The  couple was married for 60 years until he died in 2010.  Her career as a violinist flourished, too. She played with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra for 42 years and later worked for KM Productions playing jingles.

Learn more about Stroud’s life in this 2016 story written by Emily Charrier.