Aurea G. Sugiyama-Drew

Aurea Sugiyama-Drew was born in Hinundayan, Leyte Philippines in 1931. The daughter of Eugenio Orot (father) and Simplicia Golle (mother). She was the eldest of seven siblings. Aurea had a diverse early career. She was a certified nurse, modeled and worked as a sales clerk at the US Navy Base Exchange at Subic Bay. It was there she met her future husband, Bob Yoshio Sugiyama. He was an AMHC Chief Petty officer in the US Navy.

They were married in 1958 and had 6 children: one daughter Gwen and five sons Michael, Robert, Randolph, Dean and Lee. While raising six children, Aurea went back to school and earned her teaching degree. Bob passed away in 1969 while heroically saving the entire family in a tragic house fire.

Aurea taught English as a Second Language at Sweetwater Adult School for 30 years. Her classes were lively & creative. She was loved by her many students. During this time, she attended night school and earned two Masters Degrees in Education from Pepperdine University and San Diego State University.

A devout Catholic, Aurea taught CCD and served in the church choir at St Charles Parish.

In 1999, she married Norman Eugene Drew, a longtime family friend.

She is survived by her husband Norman, her children, thirteen grandchildren and fourteen great-grandchildren.

Services will be December 31, 2014 at St Anne Catholic Church, 621 Sicard Street, San Diego CA, at 10:30am. Interment immediately following at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, 4470 Hilltop Drive, San Diego CA.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: St Jude’s Children’s Hospital.