ANDREW B NELMS

(JUNE 8, 1991-OCTOBER 11, 2023)

Andrew "Drew" Bailey Nelms, cherished son of Leslie Ann Dawson, passed away on October 11, 2023.

Drew was born at Cox Hospital in Springfield on June 8, 1991. As a child, he lived in Austin, Texas, and Marlborough, Connecticut before returning to Springfield in eighth grade. An excellent student, Drew graduated with honors from Parkview High School and attended Missouri State as a Presidential Scholar. Drew has been employed at McDonald's since 2017 and was promoted to Department Manager. Drew enjoyed his work and valued the feelings of friendship and community at his store.

An avid reader from childhood, Drew was intelligent, inquisitive, energetic, brave, and compassionate. He loved animals, especially his cats Gracie and Shelly. Drew learned to build his own gaming computers and enjoyed many types of video games. His favorite book was Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Drew was a lifelong sports fan and especially enjoyed watching games with his grandparents. His favorite teams were the Houston Texans, Missouri State basketball, and the St. Louis Cardinals.

A memorial for Drew will be held Wednesday, October 25, 2023, at 6:00 pm, at the historic Washington Avenue Baptist Church, 803 N. Washington, Springfield 65802.

Drew is survived by his mother Leslie Dawson, siblings Sophie Dawson and Miles Dawson and their partners Jace and Sam, grandparents Gary and Ann Nelms, uncles Andy Nelms and Brian DeLong, aunts Emily Nelms and Autumn Tracy, cousins Deidre Nelms (Chris), August Nelms, Thomas DeLong, his dear friend Kenzie Pavlovsky, and many good friends and co-workers he had grown close to throughout his life.

Our family loved Drew with all our hearts, and we are devastated by his loss.

In remembrance of Drew's life, the family asks that any charitable donations be made to the Epilepsy Foundation of Missouri and Kansas ( https://efmk.org ) or The Connecting Grounds ( https://www.theconnectinggrounds.com/giving ).