Constance M. Drew

Connie learned to swim during family summer vacations in Quonset, RI when she was about 8 years old. Later, she joined the swim team at Cranston High School, and also joined the more competitive Providence Central Boys Club Auxillary team, a women’s and girls’ team which competed all over New England. She was the Rhode Island all-state back stroke champion in 1950.

During her years as an education major at Rhode Island College, she stayed with the boys club team, and it was there that she began her career of teaching others to swim.

Connie first taught swimming on the Cape during summer vacations. After marrying, she taught swimming in both Barnstable and Chatham. Connie also spent many winters refereeing girls high school basketball games, covering Cape Cod and the Islands , retiring from that endeavor in 1983. Throughout those years Connie also wrote a Sunday column for the Cape Cod Times sports section entitled “As the Girls Go,” dedicated to covering girls high school athletics on Cape Cod.

During the early 1950’s, Connie taught third grade at Ezra Baker Elementary School in Dennis. She left that job to raise her family. As her family grew, she taught a swim program for the Cape Cod Association for Retarded Citizens and also created a synchronized swim program. She spent 25 years as the director of the swim program at the Hyannis Yacht Club.

Connie began her YMCA career in 1969, teaching swim classes in various motel pools on the Cape. She taught swimming for the YMCA until 2005, when she left to take care of her husband. In 1989 she was inducted into the Rhode Island Swimming Hall of Fame, primarily for her work teaching swimming to people with special needs. In 2002, she was inducted into the Fox Point Boys and Girls Club Hall of Fame, formerly the Providence Central Boys Club, for her years of teaching swimming to children.

It has been said of Connie by various people over the years that she “taught Cape Cod how to swim.” This statement is one of which she was very proud.

She is survived by her sons, Tod Drew & wife Sue of Centerville, Douglas Drew & wife Frankie of Mashpee, daughters, Carin Sanborn & husband Robert of Mashpee and Allison Launhardt & husband Larry of Red Hook, NY. She is also survived by her siblings Dorothy Wing, Virginia Spence, Sarah Gorman & husband Walter and David Mills & wife Flossie. In addition, she leaves her grandchildren, Matthew, Phillip & wife Lindsay, Christopher, Katie, Robert , Parker and Tyler.

Visiting hours will be on Thursday February 17, 2011 from 4-7pm at the Doane Beal & Ames Funeral Home, 160 W. Main St. Hyannis, MA 02601. A funeral service will be held on Friday February 18 at 10am at the Federated Church, Main St. Hyannis. Interment will be in Oak Grove Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Federated Church of Hyannis Memorial Fund, 320 Main St., Hyannis, MA 02601 or the YMCA Cape Cod, P.O. Box 188, West Barnstable, MA 02668.