Drew Baur                 1944-2011

Drew was born on April 23, 1944 and was soon diagnosed with nephritis, an often fatal disease that attacks the kidneys.  Although he survived its initial onslaught, it weakened his immune system for the rest of his life.  It would have slowed down most people, but not Drew.  Because he knew that his time was potentially limited, he lived as though all joy and accomplishments had to be relished in the moment. At Country Day, he excelled in tennis, lettering for three years and, with Fred Taussig, winning the district doubles and competing in the state tournament.

He had graduated from Washington and Lee in 1966 and briefly worked in Atlanta before he came back to St. Louis as a young banker.  In 1985 he led a group that bought Southwest Bank, where he became Chairman.  Over the next 16 years, the bank grew from $150 million in assets to $2 ½ billion when it was sold.  It was considered the premier local bank during this time.  He also served on many local civic and charitable boards. 

In 1994, Drew and a small group of mostly Country Day alumni bought the St. Louis Cardinals and the franchise soon became one of the winningest in baseball.  On any given night, Drew could be seen in the owner’s box smoking his renowned cigar and cheering on the Birds, because he was their biggest fan.

Of his many fine attributes, generosity was one of his best.  He was always willing to take friends to play golf at exotic places where he was a member, such as Augusta National or Seminole. You were always welcome to stay at one of his houses in St. Louis, Michigan or Florida.  Ballgame tickets were always available. He also was very loyal to his friends , and extended   many acts of kindness that were rarely known .

Drew’s  high speed lust for life was legendary.  He   felt sleep slowed him down, because there was always too much to be done.  A few years ago he had a week to remember.  At the beginning, he caught a world record marlin in the Indian Ocean.  Two days later he sold Southwest Bank for a  tremendous sum,  making many  investors and employees  well set for life. At the end of the week he saw grandchildren born in St. Louis and Richmond, Va.  When asked by an unknowing acquaintance how his week went, Drew replied..”Not bad …..I only got three speeding tickets and one cop never caught up with me.”

But Drew’s never-ending quest for achievement, action and a good time took its toll.  Nephritis was wearing away his kidneys, and he needed a transplant.  His sister Barbara donated one of hers.  It gave Drew a new lease on life for a few more years.  But this was a temporary fix, and the long sleep he had   fought and outrun caught up with him last February, when a heart attack took him away. He leaves two sons, Andrew and Todd; a daughter, Mackay; his former wife Kitty, and seven grandchildren.

He was extremely fond of our class and looked forward to our 50^th with glee. But he was worried about his health and  prematurely gave an extremely large amount to be the foundation of our class gift “just in case.”  And the inevitable happened.   

Drew may be gone, but he is with us in spirit…………..and we will miss him.

  -- Submitted by Denny Niedringhaus