Memorial service set for Marilyn Drew

Longtime Fairbanks resident Marilyn June Drew (pictured at left), 79, passed away at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital on June 9.

Mrs. Drew was born June 1, 1930, in Eliasville, Texas. She had a career as a flight attendant for Braniff Airlines in Dallas and later for the Flying Tigers on their overseas trips. She flew until 1956 when she met and married Jim Drew. That year they moved to Lincoln, Neb., where her three children were born. In 1976, the Drew family moved to Fairbanks, where Dr. Drew became the newly appointed dean of the School of Agriculture and Land Resources Management. Soon after moving to Fairbanks, Mrs. Drew began selling real estate. Every spring Jim and Marilyn would fly to the Lower 48, visiting relatives and friends along the way.

Mrs. Drew volunteered with Meals on Wheels for the Senior Center and assisted with Helping Hoofs, a horseback riding program for people with special needs. She was a member of the Fairbanks Republican Women’s Club and the Top of the World Garden Club. Mrs. Drew was preceded in death by her husband of fifty-two years, Dr. James V. Drew, and her eldest brother, William Ray Smith. She is survived by her daughters, Lisa and Kelly, her son, Michael, and her granddaughter, Amy Covey, all of Fairbanks.

A memorial gathering celebrating the life of Marilyn Drew will be held from 2 to 5 p.m., Sunday, June 28, at 4725 Villanova Drive, Jim and Marilyn’s house on the lake. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Drew Amphitheater, c/o the Georgeson Botanical Garden. Please mail donations to the Drew Amphitheater, 4820 Villanova Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99709.

“Marilyn and Jim Drew were tremendous supporters of the botanical garden,” SNRAS Dean Carol Lewis said. “We always appreciated Marilyn’s support of the school and the experiment station. The Drew Amphitheater at the Georgeson Botanical Garden will be a lasting tribute to Marilyn and Jim.”