Michael Drews

Michael O'Shea Drews Died on Saturday, September 3rd after a year-long battle with liver disease. Born in San Francisco on January 20, 1970 he died at Kaiser Hospital in Redwood City, CA. surrounded by his family. He was 41 years old. He is survived by his father John Drews, his son Aidan, 11 years old, and a sister in Ireland, Anna Drews. He is also survived by his mother Patricia Stoll, and his step father, Michael Stoll, both of Redwood City, a sister Katy Stoll and a brother Ryan Stoll. He is predeceased by his maternal grandparents, Ernest and Bonnie Renner of Los Angeles, and his paternal grandparents, Rudy and Mary Drews of Ross and Hillsborough. Michael, a true Aquarius, was a kind, gentle and unselfish person who lived a unique and well-traveled life. Along the way he acquired a wide range of friends in the commercial world and the music world. As a boy growing up Michael excelled in sports. He was an all-star in Little League, and a starter on the soccer team at Menlo Boys School. Michael attended Menlo School, Marin Catholic High, the American International School in Singapore, and graduated from Menlo Atherton High. He attended Foothill College. But Michael was not born to be a scholar. He was a traveler and a musician and music was his first love. He left school to follow the Grateful Dead around the country, and showed an early entrepreneurial spirit by supporting himself selling shirts and food outside the shows. He played keyboards, guitar and was a virtuoso blues harmonica player. He traveled in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, and jammed onstage with groups in every country. In small villages he would entertain crowds with his playing. One memorable evening at Anywheres, the leading music club of its time in Singapore, he brought a packed house to its feet and received several encores when he tore the place up playing with the club band. That was when he was in his early 20's. When he returned to the US he found himself on stage playing with James Cotton at a Northern Calif. blues festival. When his son Aidan came along, music took second place and he started working long and hard hours as a sales manager in the home improvement business. Michael was successful in sales and business primarily because he was honest, a good listener with a talent for relating to everyone. People trusted Michael because he never lied to them, and he had a great capacity for empathy. He enjoyed playing golf with his friends, and father and son; who were amazed at his ability to hit a 7-iron 180 yards! When he was younger he was an avid squash player, and he loved to cook. He also was an accomplished glass blower and made multi-colored pendants created with his own signature style. And lastly, Michael had courage. When he was diagnosed with his disease he knew that there were only two possible endings: a liver transplant or death. He fought to live even as he became sicker, enduring multiple hospitalizations so that he could obtain a transplant and survive for his son. He was 6" 1" and 195 lbs. when he got sick. He weighed 130 when he died. He missed the opportunity for a transplant by a matter of days after a year-long struggle. He leaves a gap in the lives of his family and friends that will never be filled and a memory that will endure always. There will be memorial mass and celebration of Michael's life for family and friends.