William Drew Mitzelfeld

A classically-trained pianist and brilliant electrical engineer who taught himself Mandarin before moving to China at age 21, William Drew Mitzelfeld will be remembered for his unique talents and his warmth and love for his family and friends.

Drew passed away in Shanghai, China at age 30, on March 20, after battling Typhus. He left a legacy of memories that his loved ones and family will not soon forget.

He was the first child of Pam, who would later become an English professor at Oakland University, and Brad, a partner at Bradmont Properties and Mitzelfeld’s Inc., which for many years owned the Mitzelfeld’s department store, a fixture on Main Street in Rochester.

Just 18 months later, Drew was joined by his sister Victoria Tristen (Tori). A fashion entrepreneur who works in the United States and Europe, she visited Drew frequently, and became part of the close friendships he developed in Shanghai.

From a young age, Drew was drawn to classical music. Practicing for hours each day, while a student at Brother Rice High School in Birmingham, Drew won a piano concerto competition at age 17. His reward was the honor of being guest pianist in two performances with the Rochester Symphony Orchestra.

By the time he was applying to Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, he was already an accomplished pianist and first applied to be a piano performance major. Despite his love of music, not long after entering college, Drew determined that his academic passion was in the sciences and changed his major to electrical engineering. Not content to simply attend classes, Drew’s desire to make a difference and assist with academic research while still a freshman, led him to convince the faculty to open up research opportunities to undergraduates. The result was the creation of the McCormick Undergraduate Research Society.

(See https://www.mccormick.northwestern.edu/news/articles/archive/2009-2012/article_598.html).

After testing in to advanced Mandarin classes, Drew represented his college in a Midwest language competition and won a chance to spend a month studying at the Shanghai Normal University. That set the stage for his desire to live and work in China.

After graduating with near perfect grades from Northwestern with degrees in electrical and biomedical engineering, Drew set off for Shanghai, where he took a position with Chinaco Co., a company that builds, acquires, and updates hospitals in the Shanghai area. Drew ultimately was the lead in their finance division. Regardless of his professional life, Drew always had a piano in his apartment and his love of classical music never waned. Drew would reside in Shanghai for the rest of his life.

Visitation for Drew will be from 2 to 5 p.m. with a memorial service to follow at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 17, at the Pixley Funeral Home, 322 W. University Drive in Rochester.

Drew is survived by his mother Pamela Mitzelfeld, of Huntersville, NC; his father Bradley, of Rochester; his sister Victoria, of Brooklyn, NY; his grandparents William and Diana Mitzelfeld, of Rochester; his grandfather Billy Pierce, of Livonia; His uncle Monty, of Rochester; his aunt and uncle Jim and Michele Quinn of Northville; and his cousin Allison Medlin, of Cary, NC.

Donations in Drew’s memory can be made out to the Community Foundation of Rochester.