Drusilla Ann Nelson Matthews

June 8, 1955 – July 11, 2015

Drusilla (Dru) Ann Nelson Matthews passed from this world in the early morning hours of July 11, 2015. She spent her final days peacefully surrounded by her beloved friends and family.

Dru loved people and created a nurturing community and haven for her family and ever-growing circle of friends. She had a huge heart and a gracious, generous spirit. She believed the best about people, giving second chances and support wherever she could. She was a fairy godmother, creating an aura of acceptance and fun for those she cared about.

In a way Dru could be described as a Renaissance woman, with a wide variety of interests and impeccable taste. She was bright, gladly mentoring people not only in business but in the business of having fun!

She was a patron of the arts, and gained tremendous satisfaction in supporting local and nationally known artists. She was a reader and kept an extensive library in her home. She loved music, especially attending concerts. She first caught the gardening bug from her grandmother, and it became a passion she nurtured throughout her life, evidenced still in her backyard English garden.

As the eldest of five siblings, Dru became the matriarch of the family, gathering them together for holiday celebrations and vacations, as well as simply providing a sense of welcome and home. Her family describes her as being the “mama bear.”

She had an incredible work ethic and savvy business sense that made her a very successful entrepreneur, first with her friend Rob Mygatt at MWI and Training Works, and subsequently with her own company, H.D. Productions, Inc. Her earlier career as a social worker gave her a keen sense of people which was a strength she brought into the business world.

Dru had a lifelong love of the Girl Scouts. She maintained friendships from her scouting experience, most notably her dear friend Polly Wark, with whom she shared numerous adventures. She had a zest for life and put herself fully into everything she did—work or play.

One cannot remember Dru without mentioning her passion for Walt Disney World – the happiest place on earth - and the many experiences she shared there with friends and family. She always pulled out all the stops, creating a magical experience for everyone. She had an unparalleled sense of fun, which was quite contagious to those around her. On one memorable visit she and her friends dressed up as princesses, causing quite a stir in the park. ..Most recently for her birthday, she and her friends again dressed as Disney princesses, revisiting the magic and wonder of make-believe that always put a sparkle in her eye. This quote from Cinderella perhaps best sums up Dru: ""Where there is kindness, there is goodness. Where there is goodness, there is magic.""

Dru Matthews was certainly an exceptionally good and kind woman, and her death will leave a significant sense of emptiness for all who knew her. But it is the magic of her life, the community she created among her friends and family, and the connections she built that will keep her spirit alive.

A Celebration of Life will be held Friday, July 17th at 10:30 A.M. at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Fort Collins followed by a reception at Dru’s home. Memorial donations may be made to the ASPCA or to Halcyon Hospice, who took such good care of Dru in her final weeks. Thoughts and messages may be left at http://www.allnutt.com/obituaries.