Former longtime Abilene Christian University trustee Nola Sharron Owen Drury (’72) died Feb. 27, 2023, at age 72.
Visitation will be held March 7, 2023, from 5-7 p.m. at Laurel Land Funeral Home (7100 Crowley Road, Fort Worth, Texas 76134). A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on March 8, 2023, at Altamesa Church of Christ (4600 Altamesa Blvd., Fort Worth, Texas 76133), followed by refreshments in the Gathering Room at 11:30 a.m. and a private graveside service at 12:30 p.m.
She was born April 26, 1950, in Fort Worth, Texas, where she graduated from R.L. Paschal High School. She earned an education degree at ACU and served as president of the Delta Theta sorority. She married Dewey Dearl Drury Jr. (’72) on Dec. 28, 1971, and they moved to Fort Worth, where Sharron taught elementary school in the Everman and Fort Worth ISDs for three years.
Drury was a champion of Christian education for students of all ages.
In 1976 she became the volunteer elementary P.E. teacher and coach at Southwest Christian School, and served as PTO president and on the Ways and Means Committee. From 1985-2002 she led SCS in widely varying ways: as a sixth-grade teacher, dean of students, president, development officer and head varsity coach for football, baseball and boys’ basketball teams.
Later, she purchased Snelson Oilfield Lighting, and served as president of the Texas Christian School Association and on ACU’s Department of Teacher Education Visiting Committee. She also was a member of the Fort Worth Woman’s Club and president of the Sorosis Club for women.
She was a member of Altamesa Church of Christ from its inception, and also helped create and served its T3 children’s program the past eight years.
She taught elementary school in the Everman and Fort Worth ISDs before starting a distinguished career at Southwest Christian School, serving as secondary principal, coach for girls and boys sports, vice principal and middle school teacher. In 1990, she began a seven-year tenure as president of SCS when its enrollment more than doubled, and also was the head coach of its first six-man football team. Later, she served as president of the Texas Christian School Association and on ACU’s Department of Teacher Education Visiting Committee.
Drury, who received ACU’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 1996, served on the university’s Board of Trustees from 2000-15, including as chair of the Purpose and Governance Committee and the Board Development Committee. She also was a member of the Compensation Committee and co-chaired the Presidential Transition Team in 2009-10 when Dr. Phil Schubert (’91) became president. Drury served on the University Council from 2015-23.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Harrold and Betty Owen. Among survivors are a son, Derrek (’98) and wife Laura (Holley ’99) Drury of Burleson, Texas; daughters Daley (Drury ’00) and husband Mitchell Miller (’00) of Fort Worth, and Deneé (Drury ’02) and husband Zach Swindle (’03) of Keller, Texas; a brother, H. Dean Owen Jr. (’68) and wife Marilyn (Jansen ’68) Owen of North Richland Hills, Texas; a sister, Kim Owen Williamson (’78) and husband Martin Williamson of Bermuda; and 13 grandchildren: Ty, Halle, Dabron, Carson, Emersyn and Knox Drury; Karis, Daley Klaire, Bain and Bandon Miller; and Wyatt, Dylan and Gretchen Nola Swindle.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Sharron Drury Endowment Fund at Southwest Christian School (southwestchristian.org); ACU’s Exceptional Fund (ACU Box 29132, Abilene, Texas 79699-9132) or acu.edu/give; and Neighborhood Needs (nneeds.org).
– Ron Hadfield
March 1, 2023