Andrew Christopher "Drew" Stephens

How do you find the words to announce the unexpected passing of one of the most important people in your life? Our beloved son, Drew Stephens, was suddenly taken from us on July 21, 2024, forever changing the lives of his family, friends, community, and all who loved him. He was the best birthday present a mother could ask for 28 years ago and was a joyous, happy, and handsome boy from the start. He was always a considerate child who would help anyone in need or would joke around to bring a smile to your face, just like the one he wore every day.

Drew enjoyed his time with incredible and influential teachers and made many life-long friends at Evening Street Elementary; played football and met his great friend, Marcus, at Kilbourne Middle School; and ran track at Thomas Worthington High School before graduating in 2015. During high school, he had fun with friends while working as a cashier at Graceland Kroger before joining Subway where he worked his way up to Assistant Manager. From Subway, he was recruited by Widestream Solutions as an IT Support Specialist. Taking one of life’s left turns after the craziness of 2020, he started training to become a Production Assistant at Honda of America in Marysville. Drew had a natural talent for working with his hands as well as making new friends, and he did both exceptionally well at Honda where he will be hugely missed.

He was a daily gamer and being online playing with his friends from around the world made him the happiest, but he especially loved it when he would connect with them in the real world. He had several of these friends who will miss him greatly. He was an avid Buckeye fan who said his favorite season was The Ohio State Football Season. The 4th of July was always a time for family as generations came together at the family’s lake house in Michigan, shredding on the water with his cousins on jet skis or tubing, celebrating, and connecting with everyone was a ritual he cherished every summer.

He loved to travel and visited the countries of Canada, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, and many Caribbean islands. He loved music and was thrilled when he had the opportunity to finally visit Jamaica and experience the music and culture firsthand. He frequently said he wanted to return to Italy to spend time with our extended family there and dreamed of one day vacationing in Hawaii. He always lived up to his favorite quote, “Ohana means family,” and he made sure no one was ever left behind or forgotten. He grew up loving to draw and paint and enjoyed cooking, especially for his family.

Drew is preceded in death by maternal grandfather, Bob Whipple, paternal grandmother, Adele and step-grandfather, Vernon Renner. Drew will be deeply missed by his grandmother, Harriet Whipple, and grandfather, Paul and step-grandmother, Signe Stephens; his loving parents, Brian and Lisa Stephens; and his younger sister and brother, Ellie and Liam Stephens. Having an especially close-knit family, Drew was incredibly close with his many aunts, Christina (Bill) Keegan, and uncles, Rob (Margaret) Whipple, Craig (Claire) Stephens, David Stephens, and amazing cousins both here and in Italy, but especially his cousin, Megan, who was his “ride or die” as Drew would frequently remind us. Megan and Drew had a long list of dreams they wanted to accomplish together and made each other a priority in their lives. As our cousin Aubrey reminded us this week, our family is everything to us, and “When one of us is hurt we all hurt. We then prioritize each other. It’s like we are all a puzzle, we take our pieces into our lives, but when we come back together the puzzle makes a picture and together we make the best picture.”

To everyone who loved Drew as much as we did, please remember… “When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure. Share that treasure with those you love.” --Anonymous

A visitation for Andrew will be held Wednesday, July 31, 2024 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Schoedinger Northwest, 1740 Zollinger Road, Columbus, OH 43221. A visitation will occur Thursday, August 1, 2024 from 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM, 1740 Zollinger Road, Columbus, OH 43221. A memorial service will occur Thursday, August 1, 2024 at 5:30 PM, 1740 Zollinger Road, Columbus, OH 43221.