Florence “Danny” Drury

Memorial service for Florence “Danny” Drury (nee Daniels) will be held 11 a.m. Friday, December 13, 2013 at Plymouth Congregational Church . She died peacefully Sunday morning in the presence of family members. She was 93.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, she spent most of her childhood in Madison, Wisconsin as the daughter of a professor. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1941 and went to Washington, D.C. where she worked as an assistant to the head of the Dept. of Agriculture. While there, in the midst of World War II, she met her beloved husband, Jim who was a Colonel in the Army. Despite the tensions all around them in wartime, they married and continued in Washington until the war ended, when they moved to Princeton for Jim to continue his PhD studies. Jim’s long tenure in the KU Political Science Department began in 1947 and was the start of many happy years in Lawrence.
Danny was an active volunteer in many organizations throughout Lawrence, notably the League of Women Voters, Meals on Wheels, Plymouth Congregational Church, and the (now extinct) Thrift Shop. She also participated in study groups (such as Zodiac), was active in the University Women’s Club, and she played bridge for many years. At the age of 40, Danny obtained a teaching degree from KU (after being a volunteer math teacher in Pakistan) and spent a few years teaching Math in the Lawrence School system.
Along with her husband of 69 years, she happily raised three children, Jon, Jane and Ann, now residents of Lawrence, Kansas City and St. Louis, respectively. A year in Sendai, Japan; 18 months in Lahore, Pakistan; summers in Costa Rica; and a semester in Poland were some of the highlights of her world travels with Jim, in addition to numerous post-retirement Elder Hostel Trips.
The couple enjoyed their life in Lawrence, eagerly returning after each of their foreign travels.
Danny’s calm and gentle demeanor, her clear interest in the lives of others, and her devotion to her husband and family are the highlights of her well-lived life. She will be missed by her children and their spouses, her 8 grandchildren and extended family as well as her many friends.
In lieu of flowers, gifts can be sent to Warren McElwain for the Ridges Sanctuary in Door County, Wisconsin or the Presbyterian Manor Employee Scholarship Fund.
Online condolences may be sent to www.warrenmcelwain.com