Jeffrey "Drew" Thurston

Jeffrey "Drew" Thurston, 43, of Yorktown, entered the arms of Jesus on Friday, August 29, 2025, while being life-lined to St. Vincent Heart Center following a vascular emergency, surrounded by the love of his family and friends.

Drew was born on August 9, 1982, in Ardmore, OK, to Mark and Marsha Thurston. A 2001 graduate of Yorktown High School, he went on to earn his BA in Sales & Marketing from Ball State University in 2005. On February 18, 2005, he married Kodi Gant, and together they built a beautiful life and family. Drew worked in many roles throughout his career, most recently serving as president at TK Constructors. He also devoted time to coaching pole vault at Yorktown High School, where he mentored and encouraged countless athletes.

Drew was a man who could do anything-and did. If it was broken, he could fix it; if it could be imagined, he could build it. He never sat still and never stopped working, whether for his family, friends, or community. Loyal, honest, and dependable, Drew was always the first to lend a hand-day or night. To know him was to feel included, loved, and treated like family.

Music was one of Drew's greatest passions. Though best known as a bass player, Drew could play any instrument he picked up. He played in bands for over 14 years with his closest friends, and this year he proudly released his first album with White Lies and Half-Truths. He also enjoyed golfing (always humbly calling himself mediocre), mowing, boxing and working out with his parents and sons, and annual surfing trips with family and friends to Dale Hollow. Drew loved fishing, mushroom hunting, chainsawing, cast-netting in the creek with his boys, and building Halloween bonfire creations that became tradition. He was a Red Dog Saloon regular, enjoyed podcasts and conspiracy theories, and had an infamous dislike of tomatoes.

At home, Drew was an adoring husband and devoted dad. He loved reading to his kids every night, playing games that he made sure to win so his boys would learn how to lose, and teaching them the skills he mastered. Even his "subpar" welding became a family joke. Drew had a gift for making memories in the everyday, whether building, laughing, or just being present with the people he loved most.

Drew is survived by his loving wife of 20 years, Kodi Thurston; two sons, Riley and Eli Thurston; parents, Mark and Marsha Thurston; brother, Chase Thurston (wife Amanda); four nieces, Addie and Emma Thurston, and Sonny and Charlee Gant; four nephews, Luke Thurston, and Brenan, Parker, and Elliot Gant; mother-in-law, Kathy Gant; sister-in-law, Kelly Gant; brother-in-law, Nick Gant (wife Robyn); and many extended family members and dear friends.

He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Kenny and Kay Thurston; maternal grandparents, Bill and Laura Cox; and his uncle, Scott "Fuzzy" Thurston.

A funeral service to celebrate Drew's life will be held at 4:00 pm Saturday, September 6, 2025, at the Yorktown Middle School Gymnasium, 8820 W. Smith St. in Yorktown. Cremation will follow services.

Family and friends may gather to share and remember from 12:00 noon until 4:00 pm on Saturday at the Yorktown Middle School Gymnasium.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Yorktown Community Schools Foundation in support of the Pole Vault Program at https://secure.qgiv.com/for/ycsf-tigerswill/,

Drew lived his life with a servant's heart, a quick laugh, and boundless energy. He was everyone's best friend, a brother to all who knew him, and his absence leaves an immeasurable void.