Andrew "Drew" Steven MacDonald
(December 31, 1977 – March 16, 2023)
In the beginning
According to historical weather records, when Drew was born at 0817 on December 31, 1977 in
Quincy, California, it was a balmy 28 degrees Fahrenheit. He was an itty-bitty little man weighing in at only 5 lbs, 3 oz, but he was born to make an impact.
Drew had a happy childhood living with his grandparents in
Falls Church, Virginia, running around the backyard, getting into absolutely everything, and enjoying the literal fruits of his mother's and grandmother's labor in the garden, directly off the vine. This is where his athleticism and inquisitive nature began.
His parent's move to
Springfield, Virginia, began a new era in Drew's life. His sisters Danielle, Ann Marie, and Hope were born. He was a loving and patient older brother. The house was filled with laughter, love, and the typical family squabbles that could be expected with three young girls so close in age.
Gifted and Talented
Drew was an incredibly gifted and intelligent child with an IQ of 168 by the time he was in 4th grade. He would analyze the inner workings of things to understand how the pieces worked together, enjoying the opportunity to pull things apart and rebuild them to better understand how they functioned.
Thanks to his Uncle Andy, he became fascinated with computers and coding at a young age, his logical mindset a natural fit for understanding how to utilize the command line and If Then Else statements. This served him greatly in high school when the Front Office staff would ask him to help fix issues with their computer systems on a regular basis.
Drew balanced his intelligence with athletics, an avid soccer player throughout his school career. If you didn't catch him on the soccer field, you likely caught his hidden hacky sack talent in the school parking lot, or his juggling of whatever he could manage to get his hands on including, at least once, the baby Jesus from a Nativity Scene during the Christmas holiday season.
Drew (a.k.a. The Suburban Cowboy) was also a guitar player, singer, and songwriter. His historic rendition of Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA" in elementary school continues to be reenacted by members of the Stasik family every patriotic holiday. His rendition of the Willy Nelson and Julio Iglesias duet "To All the Girls I've Loved Before" was another epic elementary school performance. Drew never seemed to get nervous when he performed, whether it be as part of the talent show in high school or singing karaoke with his buddies in his twenties.
Sadly, Drew's acting bug was short-lived with only a single performance in the middle school performance of "As The Bard Turns" at The Barns and Wolf Trap in
Vienna, Virginia. It's unclear how it's possible this version of Shakespearian classics presented as a Soap Opera did not get the highest accolades and spin-off into an actual filmed series. Perhaps it was Drew's performance as Hamlet?
As he grew older, Drew turned to more mature pastimes, such as golfing and fishing. He spent hours in his boat on the lake behind his home, enjoying the peace and quiet, rod in the water, patiently waiting for a bite. From the photo it's clear he took these sports very seriously.
Drew was enrolled in St. Bernadette's Catholic School in
Springfield, Virginia, in 7th grade. This is where he first met his future wife, Laura. He was a good-looking, skinny kid with a quick smile, infectious laugh, and mature confidence. He was unlike any other boy in that school. Their friendship continued through their years at Paul IV Catholic High School in
Fairfax, Virginia, losing touch with each other after they graduated in 1996. Drew ultimately moved back in with his grandfather to care for him as he suffered from dementia. He affectionately became known to his grandfather as "the lad who lived downstairs".
Protecting and Serving
Drew applied to the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) in 1999. He met his first wife, and mother to his children, Julie, while they were in the Academy together. While being a police officer was "work", the role allowed Drew's humor to shine through. Drew had a knack for penning new acronyms such as the Police Network of Interstate Stolen Vehicles (PNIS), which unfortunately did not get approved for widespread use. Drew felt community outreach was important, going so far as to (allegedly) make donuts in his cruiser on top of the Sears parking deck with some local youths.
Tragically, Drew's career as a police officer was cut short due to the DC Sniper attacks. Drew was first on the scene of FBI Agent, Linda Franklin's death on October 15, 2002, in the
Falls Church, Virginia, Home Depot parking lot. Being unable to save her while being so close by proved to be too much for him. A decorated Sergeant, Drew was medically retired from the FCPD with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in 2009.
Life After Retirement
Drew was a man who enjoyed working with his hands. Through the years he helped friends with building houses and working on renovations. For a time, he operated a small business where he hand-carved gorgeous police batons out of cocobolo.
He and the Homeowners' Association had an interesting relationship. They would conduct assessments. Drew would respond with the most ornately written letter outlining any misstep they may have taken citing supporting legal code. The assessments would then mysteriously and blessedly take a bit of a hiatus.
Drew also counseled others who suffered from PTSD. He had learned a lot about himself, why and how PTSD had affected him, and wanted to share that knowledge with others who were suffering. He spent hours on his couch tracing the path of the incidents that led to their PTSD, helping fellow survivors work through the events and associated emotions in a safe space. In some instances, he also coordinated with his own care team to take on these survivors as new patients to continue intense therapy so they could get past their ordeals and be valuable contributors to society, again.
Those He Leaves Behind
Drew's loss is a crushing blow to his surviving family. He was a cherished husband, father, brother, son, nephew, and friend.
His Wife:
Pulling from the song Despacito by Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee (featuring an intro by Justin Beiber), Drew referred to his wife Laura as "[his] sunrise on the darkest day". She was the color in his life, while he was the practicality in hers. Drew would always chuckle and shake his head when Laura would approach him with a "now, hear me out" and her next idea for home renovations. He drew the line at mismatched drawer pulls in any room, much to her chagrin.
Drew and Laura married on March 19, 2021, recording a broader ceremony for family and friends on May 1, 2021. They adored each other every moment of every day they were together.
His Children:
Drew was incredibly proud of his children, Anthony, Nickolas, and Alicia.
Like his father, Anthony is all about getting his hands dirty and figuring out how things work. He tinkers under the hood of his own car, builds his own computers, and slays it at his tech support job. Anthony also has an amazing eye for photography, which Drew greatly admired. Anthony's ability to march in the band while playing the baritone saxophone was amazing to Drew whose feet had a mind of their own when rhythm was required.
Nickolas is a deep thinker, like his father who can survey a scene and figure out the best approach given the situation at hand. A true Renaissance Man, Nickolas is also a self-taught expert when it comes to building computers, researching, and acquiring spare parts to create the perfect gaming system. Drew was amazed at Nickolas' ability to read sheet music. Drew was absolutely lost when it came to putting music on paper.
Drew was in awe of Alicia's athletic ability. Alicia spent years tumbling in Gymnastics. Meanwhile, Drew could barely pass the sit-and-reach test in gym class. More recently she has been dominating the basketball court, which Drew was really excited about. Frankly, Drew was challenged when it came to jumping. He was grateful Alicia has more luck in that department.
While not a blended family in the traditional sense, Drew truly appreciated and admired Laura's children Lindsey, Lauryn, and Lacey. All three are incredibly talented. Drew would sit through hours of Laura's recordings of Lindsey's choir performances and Lauryn's band concerts, humming along and playing the air drums, as appropriate. Drew was amazed at Lacey's drawing abilities; his stick figures couldn't compare to the depth of her artistic creations.
His Family:
Drew's parents, Joyce and Ronald "Ron" MacDonald, still live in the family home in
Springfield, Virginia. Joyce continues to enjoy hosting the annual Thanksgiving family get-together. On a warm day, Ron may be found outside singing on the front porch, a talent Drew was fortunate to have acquired.
Drew's sisters, Danielle (Carl) Wateridge, Ann Marie (Tim) MacDonald-Kelly, and Hope (Brad) Bingham are all incredibly strong, confident, independent, capable, and accomplished women. Drew could not have been more proud of their drive, ambition, and their selection of supportive life partners. Drew also leaves behind adorable and talented nephews and nieces Josh, Isla, Harper, and Jack.
In closing
"Baby It's You", an original song written by Drew MacDonald
I lie awake and watch you softly sleep
The world just seems to fade away
Wrapped in my arms your body close to me
Like when I held you in my dreams
I can feel your heartbeat
Breath warm upon my skin
And for a moment time stands still
I get lost in your eyes
Lost in your smile
And when we touch I can't let go
The smell of your skin
The taste of your kiss
And everything/You're all I can't resist
Baby, it's you
The walls around my heart came tumbling down
The first time you held my hand
And when I look at us there ain't no doubt
That you make me a better man
I could hold you for a lifetime
But a lifetime ain't enough