Edwin Anthony Drescher

Born May 22, 1956, in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania, he was the son of the late Victor Herbert and Mildred Hartung Drescher.

Edwin grew up in Zelienople, Pennsylvania, graduated from Freedom High, and attended Slippery Rock State College and The University of Dayton earning his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and a Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering, respectively. He moved to Louisiana in 1981 and worked for nearly 40 years in the chemical and alumina industries, including at Armant, Ormet, and Oxbow Calcining, retiring in 2019.

Growing up, Ed loved camping with his family, hunting, archery, and competitive diving. As an adult, he enjoyed darts, horseshoes, and bowling. He also spent weekends watching LSU Sports and Saints and Steelers football, but his greatest passion, besides his family, was spending hours each day in his garden, tending tomatoes, broccoli, cucumbers, peppers, and more. A hard-working engineer his whole life, he could fix any mechanical problem from children’s toys to cars and everything in between. He spent the better part of 15 years building our family home from the ground up. As a scientist, he was always eager to explain the workings of the world to his children and grandchildren and enjoyed providing fun experiments. He was lovingly silly and always provided a laugh, but he was a confidant who could be trusted with anything and provide sound advice.

He leaves behind to cherish his memory his beloved wife of 40 years, Melissa Ruiz Drescher, whom he married January 2, 1982; his three children, Anthony, Victor, and Briana; two grandchildren, Brooke and Emily; three brothers Victor (Dutch), Daniel, and Gregory; and numerous nieces, nephews, extended family, and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his nephew, Rusty Ruiz; great-nephew, Jacob Layton; and life-long friend, Gregory Mignanelli.

The family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Dr. Gerald Miletello, Dr. Azeem Khan, and Dr. Imtiaz Khan, and the ICU staff at the Baton Rouge General Hospital for their exceptional care, as well as to friends Tony and Tina Forbes for their love and support.

The Drescher family will welcome friends for visitation from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 31 at the Ourso Funeral Home at 13533 Airline Hwy., Gonzales, Louisiana, with a memorial service following at 7:00 p.m.

A burial will be conducted at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 1 at the St. Amant Baptist Cemetery at 10414 Acy Rd., St. Amant, Louisiana.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.oursofh.com for the Drescher family.