Parham, Drew H. Steele

Written by Drew H. Steele Parham

Since no one has written recently about their journeys to get to Midland, I thought I would venture forth in the hopes that others will tell their tales . I also hope others will decide to come to Kingsland for the August ” Meet and Greet” so we can have a few laughs during this horrific Covid Year 2020.

I was born in June 1945 in Wichita, Kansas while my daddy was serving in World War II. My mother, Fayallena Hutchinson Steele, was born in Wichita and had lived there her entire life. All her family lived there so we were surrounded by aunts, uncles , cousins, etc. The Hutchinson clan was well known in Kansas then and even now in parts of Kansas.

My father, Thomas A. Sproul Steele, Jr was from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. He was born there and his entire family had lived there for several generations. My grandfather, Dr. Thoma s A. Sproul Steele, Sr, was a descendant of those who had emigrated from Ireland. My grandmother, Helen Rosalind Drew, was also a descendant of Irish emigres .

At my birth, I was given 3 surnames of my proud family in Pennsylvania and Kansas : DREW HUTCHINSON STEELE. I always have cherished my name and my family genealogy as did my parents and their families.

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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.