Brian George Drury, 77, of Oak Grove, Missouri, was called home to his heavenly father, entirely too soon, Sunday, November 19, 2017, while at his second residence in Summerfield, Florida. He suffered a heart attack playing tournament poker at a local cardroom. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Monday, November 27th at First Baptist Church of Oak Grove; burial in Oak Grove Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 12:00 p.m. until service time at the church. In lieu of flowers, Brian’s wishes were to have contributions made to the National League of POW/MIA Families, a cause close to his heart, at 5673 Columbia Pike Suite 100, Falls Church, VA 22041 or online pow-miafamilies.org
Brian was born September 14, 1940, the son of Harry George Drury and Gwendolyn (Hook) Drury-Sparrow in Chingford, England a suburb of London. His father was a POW in France who ultimately gave his life for his country. When Brian was four years old, his mother met and married an American soldier, James Sparrow,
who brought his new family home to the United States. When Brian turned 18, he completed the process of naturalization to proudly become a citizen of the United States of America. As a young boy, the family moved several times around northern Missouri. He finally settled in the Quality Hill area of Kansas City and graduated from Manual High School in 1958. There, Brian was active as Editor-in-Chief of the school newspaper, a yearbook member and a member of the National Honor Society. While working fulltime and raising a young family, he began attending night school in 1964 at Penn Valley Community College and achieved his Associates in Business Administration in 1972. Brian began his career in the printing industry at Soto Printing, Quality Hill Printing, and then Cavender Graphics. In 1978, Brian purchased, in partnership, Baker Printing. This business endeavor gave him an opportunity to work with many of the printing companies in Kansas City. He worked tirelessly to build several well-known accounts which allowed him to establish a respected reputation and a strong relationship with companies across the metro area. In 1995, Brian sold his successful company which allowed him to retire early to spend quality time with his family and friends making wonderful memories.
Brian was a devoted family man and married his loving wife of 36 years, Mary Louise (Soetaert) Drury on August 1, 1981. He has four sons Jim, Rick, Steve and Scott. Jim and wife Susan of Higginsville; grandchildren Miranda and husband Earl Fiene, Michael, Jeffrey, Jacob and wife Leann, and Joshua; great-grandchildren Renee and Natalie Fiene. Rick of Odessa; grandchildren Matt Sanders, Shelby and Daniel; great-grandson Seth Sanders. Steve and wife Kim of Oak Grove; grandchildren Evan and Breanna. Scott and Shelly; grandchildren Tate and Kolin, Bailey and Riley. Brian has three sisters Jackie and husband David Landreth of Wellsville, Kansas; Judy Berry of Kansas City, Missouri; Sharon Dore of La Plata, Missouri and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
He enjoyed coaching all his sons through Oak Grove Little League baseball. He was a true hometown sports fan cheering on the Panthers, Chiefs, Royals and had a soft spot for a certain Jayhawk football player. He was a longtime Royals season ticket holder and attended both the 1985 and 2015 World Series Championships. Brian lived life to the fullest and had several hobbies including being a member of Bent Oak Senior Golf League. He played in several golf leagues including at his winter home in Florida. He had the great fortune of not just one, but two, hole-in-ones in his 22 years of playing golf. He was an avid tournament poker player and could be found either picking up a game in friends’ homes or at the local casinos. One of Brian’s most recent accomplishments was placing in the 2017 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. He loved seeing movies and was always a fan of any activity his grandchildren were participating in. He was also involved with classic car clubs owning a prize 1957 Chevy convertible that he had restored. He had a passion for Corvettes and was a member of the Corvette club. He chartered deep sea fishing trips, as well as enjoyed hunting and fishing on his land with his sons, grandkids and friends. Wherever Brian was, his trusty companion Boo was always close by his side and that will never change. Brian never met a stranger, and anyone who has had the pleasure of knowing him feels truly blessed. He has touched the lives of so many leaving a lasting impression and will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
Arrangements: Royer Funeral Home, Oak Grove, MO 816-690-4441