Sheldon Drews

Commander Sheldon Drews passed away peacefully at home in Arlington, VA on May 14, 2012. He was 81. Commander Drews is survived by his children Dena Drews and Alexandra Sanderson. Following graduation from the Naval Academy in 1952 and a tour of duty on a destroyer in the Korean War area, Sheldon completed Naval Flight Training and subsequent tours on the carriers Boxer, Hornet, and Intrepid in Douglas Skyraider squadrons, both the attack and airborne early warning versions. Having been the Aviation Safety Officer at the last squadron and at a naval air station, he spent four years as an Assistant professor at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey teaching the aeronautical engineering portion of the Aviation Safety Program curriculum. He then transferred to Aeronautical Engineering Duty for greater technical work, having earned Master’s degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT and in Management (Data Processing) from the Naval Postgraduate School. In this capacity, he spent the last years before retirement from the Navy in the Washington area at the Naval Air Systems Command, the Naval Material Command, and the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.

After retirement from the Navy, he stayed in the Washington area and did engineering consulting work at firms Computer Sciences Corporation and Nichols Research Corporation, working in areas of a radar satellite system for the Navy Space Project Office and of various sensors for the Strategic Defense Initiative (Star Wars). A final retirement came and, after trying the Colorado ski areas full time for a year, he returned to Northern Virginia where he continued to enjoy skiing with the Potomac Valley Skiers and lunch with Academy classmates.

Interment with full military honors will be in Arlington National Cemetery on 29 November 2012 at 900. Friends and acquaintances wishing to attend are asked to assemble at the Administration Building inside the cemetery before 830.

Immediately following the interment a reception will be held at the Ft. Myers’ Officers Club. If you are able to attend, please advise us at the following email address – [email protected]

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to:

National Air and Space Museum Wall of Honor.

Sheldon Drews Memorial

600 Independence Ave SW

MRC 321 PO Box 37012

Washington, DC 20013-7012