Obituary of William A. Drawe

William A. (Bill) Drawe of Pittsford was born June 17, 1936 and passed away November 10, 2019. Bill was born to Frank and Helen Drawe, the second of four siblings, in Detroit. He graduated from Catholic Central High School.  He married Marlene Schroeder in 1955.  While working 3 jobs and helping to raise 3 children, he attended Lawrence Institute of Technology at night, graduating with a B.S.M.E. in 1962.  On graduation, he took a job with Xerox and he and Marlene moved the family to Rochester.  Bill spent 30 years with Xerox, rising to Vice President.  He was the chief product development engineer for the 5090 system, one of the most successful products ever developed by Xerox. Bill retired from Xerox in 1992, and he and Marlene moved to Hilton Head Island, SC, where they spent the next 20 years.  An avid golfer, Bill was a board member of the Long Cove Club. He devoted long hours to the Boys & Girls Club of HHI, spearheading the construction of their new facility.  In his later years, Bill and Marlene returned to Rochester to be closer to their children and grandchildren.  Although Parkinson’s Disease attempted to rob him of his physical powers and mental rigor, his indomitable spirit never wavered.  To the end he was always moving forward.  We will miss him terribly.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents Frank and Helen and brother Frank.  He is survived by Marlene, his loving wife of 64 years; children Scott, Steve (Debbie), Teri (Chris) Clement, Jeff (Terri), and Andrew (Heather); grandchildren Anna Clement, Holly Drawe, Claire McGee, Abby Clement, Zachary Drawe, Sam Drawe, Grace Drawe, Elizabeth Drawe, Chelsie Altamura, and Todd Altamura; and brother John Drawe and sister Judy Harmony.  

Friends may call at Jennings, Nulton & Mattle Funeral Home, 1704 Penfield Road, Thursday 4-6PM. Bill's Memorial Mass will be celebrated Friday 10AM at St. Joseph's Church, 43 Gebhardt Road, Penfield. Interment private. In lieu of flowers, kindly consider donations to the Michael J. Fox Foundation or the Boys and Girls Club HHI, PO Box 22267, Hilton Head, SC 29925 in Bill's memory.