Douglas Alan Drew

He was born on June 13, 1950, in New York, New York to the late Stanley Drew and Elaine (Rabitcheff) Drew.

Doug was raised in Queens, NY in the neighborhood of Bayside. From an early age, he enjoyed the performing arts and the world of TV production. One of his fondest childhood memories was being invited to live taping of the Soupy Sales Show, a kid’s show from the 1950’s and 60’s that featured Soupy and his puppets Whitefang, Blacktooth and Pookie.

In his early adulthood, he became involved in the theater and got his first big break working for the Alvin Ailey dance company. That sparked a passion for theater production that lasted for his entire life. He quickly learned the ropes of the theater and became an invaluable member of the production crew.

From there, he connected with other dance companies around New York and became known for his outstanding diligence and genuine love for the theater. He rapidly garnered a reputation of excellence in his field. He was able to meet every musician, film and tv star that traveled into NYC for performances.

His best friend, Murray, passed away in his early 20’s due to a drug overdose. Doug kept Murry’s guitar for his entire life and spoke about him constantly.

In 1981, Doug met Marinell during a ballet show trip to Panama. Doug was the stage manager while Marinell was working for the Panamanian state department. She liaised with the dance company where they met. Marinell agreed to go out to dinner with him, where he, by her accounts, talked for so long that all of the serving staff were waiting for the two of them to leave.

They married and had two kids, Jennifer and David, and eventually settled down here in Stafford, VA.

Doug was far away from his theater roots, but he joined with the Local 22 IATSE workers union, and eventually started his own freelance videography business, Bird’s Eye View. He again garnered a reputation for excellence and exceptional work acumen as a videographer, and held an esteemed position in Local 22 for many years. He also met every famous person in DC through the 90’s and early 00’s.

In 2021, Doug suffered his first stroke. Against all normal scientific standards, Doug’s stroke lasted for over 8 HOURS, where he was finally picked up by emergency services and cared for. While his body was affected, his mind remained perfectly in-tact with all of his memories and stories. While the path to recovery was difficult, he had committed to his own self-improvement at all costs.

He suffered another stroke this past week, which in this time, he wasn’t so fortunate, but his body refused to quit for an entire week spent in the hospital for his last days.

Survivors include his son, David Romero-Drew (Samantha); daughter, Jennifer Christen-Drew (Oli), two brothers: Brian Drew (Sherrie) and Robert Marlin (Larry Henry); one sister, Jodi Drew; two grandchildren: Gideon Romero-Drew and Navi Christen-Drew. Numerous nieces, nephews and extended family.

The family will receive friends on Saturday, October 10, 2026, at Mullins & Thompson Funeral Service, 186 Shelton Shop Road, Stafford, VA from 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM where a funeral service will be held at 2:00 PM.