It is with heavy heart that we report the loss of one of our beloved “water drinkers.”
June 29, 1945- July 10,2022
Drew Hutchinson Steele Parham was one of the original contributors to the “What’s in the Water in Midland, Texas” Blog. She was a dear friend and supporter and will be greatly missed. We are thankful for the years of friendship and the love she shared with all of us.
The following article was written and shared on the Greenhill School website:
One of Greenhill School’s most beloved faculty members, Drew Steele Parham, passed away unexpectedly while traveling on July 10, at the age of 77.
The vivacious young language student with the booming laugh and Midland twang took Greenhill by storm when she arrived from the University of Texas to teach Spanish and French in 1967.
Drew was a senior at UT Austin when she received a postcard in the mail from a gentleman named Bernard Fulton. “Bernard had been reviewing some of the resumes of UT students,” Drew recollected, “and he was interested in the fact that I was double-majoring in French and Spanish.” Elated to have found a school that placed such a high value on foreign languages, Steele accepted Fulton’s job offer and never looked back.
One of Greenhill’s most colorful characters, Drew’s exuberant personality and passion for teaching elevated the minds and inspired the hearts of three decades of students before her retirement in 1998. In addition to her exemplary teaching, Parham also chaired the language department with vision and energy, with significant accomplishments, including the introduction of Chinese to the curriculum and the addition of Spanish into Preschool and Lower School. Parham remained a regular visitor to the Hill and recently attended the 2022 spring Legends Dinner and later the performance of The Little Mermaid. She was recognized with the naming of a Heart of the Hill group in her honor in 2005.
Memorial Service details are forthcoming but will take place in September in Marble Falls and Dallas.
Drew was the best of the best. She will be missed!!! Juanito
I am devastated upon hearing this…..such a beautiful gracious lady, my heart hurts. I just met her a couple of years ago and only around her a briefly, but knew She loved her classmates so much and was a lot of fun! My sincere condolences to her family and her MHS family…
What a wonderful positive person Drew was. Always smiling. Our prayers are with you John. Bob Ittner
Drew will absolutely be missed by so many people in Marble Falls, Dallas, Midland, and by every one she touched. You absolutely knew when she walked into the room or talked to her on the phone that she was a force that could get things done and done correctly. Gone but not forgotten-ever.
What a beautiful, smart, vivacious lady she was. Her light shone brightly. She will be missed by so many people. Linda Mills Wofford
Drew Steele.
Mi recuerdo de ti incluye tu rostro radiante, una rebota en tu paso y un amor por la vida. Ese es mi recuerdo de ti de la escuela preparatoria. Ahora me entero que asististe a la UT y estudiaste español y francés. Me hubiera gustado platicar español contigo. Su fotografía revela una dama bastante elegante. Hubiera sido divertido compartir una copa de vino y pasar algunos cuentos chidos. Adiós guapita, que le vaya muy bien. Sus colegas te perderemos mucho.