Obituary of Jane Garrett Drew

Jane Garrett Drew, 96, passed away peacefully in hospice on Tuesday, September 26, 2017 after two major surgeries only one month apart.Strengthened by the love of her family throughout the last months, Jane’s indomitable spirit and unaffected cheerfulness shined as she continued to play two of her favorite games, Gin Rummy and Up Words. She was admired and loved by everyone who knew her.Born July 28, 1921, to Gulf Oilman Glenn Garrett of Fort Worth and the beautiful Fleurette Hartwig of Wisconsin, Jane Garrett was the quintessential Texas lady. A spirited horse woman who accompanied her father on game shoots at their ranch near DeLeon, Texas and fishing trips to the Gulf of Mexico, Jane grew up in the Ridglea area of Fort Worth during the depression, a time when there were very few homes and people living on the West Side. She graduated from Arlington Heights High School and The Hockaday School, before attending the University of Wisconsin. Jane was a member of the TriDelta Sorority. There she met the love of her life, Howard R. (Bob) Drew, and married in 1941. Together they would fight “the war from South Dakota” where Bob served as an air traffic controller on the strategic air force base while Jane entertained the first of their four boys and supported the troops as a Red Cross volunteer.After the war, Jane and family returned to her beloved Texas, living in Austin as Bob completed his engineering degree, then moving back to Fort Worth’s West Side to raise her burgeoning family of boys. As Bob’s career advanced within Texas Electric Services (aka Texas Utilities), Jane’s quick mind, optimism and boundless energy guided sons Garrett, Robert, John and Elmer though schools, sports, theater, art, college, another war, more college, then widely-varied careers.Jane re-entered college at Texas Christian University, after the boys left home, to study speech therapy. She especially loved working with young children with disabilities. A life-long reader, she reviewed books briefly on the Bobbie Wygant Show and led Book Club discussion groups for many years.Jane participated in numerous volunteer activities throughout her life. An active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Fort Worth, where she served meals at the Night Shelter, and for Meals on Wheels. She was a past president of PEO Chapter AP, a member of the Woman’s Club of Fort Worth, a docent for the Kimball Art Museum, and long-time member of Colonial Country Club. Jane’s favorite activities, however, involved anything with family: travel, camping, tennis, swimming, ping-pong, scrabble, poker, and charades. If conversation lulled, Jane had a question or game to perk everyone up. Her spirit of kindness and love blessed all those who knew her heart. Her trademark cheerfulness, truly sincere. Most important, Jane’s positive nature, faith and generous commitment to family embodies values that live on within each of us whose life she touched and inspired.Jane was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Howard; eldest son, Garrett; sister Peggy Garrett Smith; and nephew Brett Walter Smith.She is survived by three sons and three daughters-in-law: Robert (Bobby) Drew of Fort Worth, Susan Dean Drew of Arlington, Texas, John Drew of Los Gatos, CA and his wife Theresa; and Elmer Roberts Drew of Canyon Lake, Texas, and his wife Jean. Five grandchildren: Heather Drew, Esq., and her husband Ben Ciavolella of Fort Worth, Dr. Jason Kane Drew of Aptos, CA; Dr. Scott Garrett Drew of Fresno, CA; Zoe Jane Drew of Austin and Ariel Michelle Drew of College Station; two great grandchildren, Hunter and Theodore John Drew of Aptos; brother-in-law Edward L. Smith of Waco; and nephew Glenn Edward Smith of Houston.