Obituary of Drew Scott Pardus-abbadessa

December 21, 2023

Drew Scott Pardus-abbadessa, 56 years old, of New York City passed away on December 21, 2023 at home after a long-illness.  He was the beloved husband of nearly 20 years to Frances Pardus-abbadessa.  Drew was born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania on August 13, 1967 and was the son of Michael Pardus, Jr. and the late Juanita Trice Pardus.  He earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA and his master’s degree in business and finance from Dowling College, Oakdale, NY.

Drew worked as an engineer specializing in protecting the environment, workers and the community in manufacturing, construction and government at Franklin International; Occidental Chemical: City of New York Department of Environmental Protection, the School Construction Authority and Housing Authority; the New Yor Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery, and later as an Engineering Consultant for Pardus Environmental Protection. He was also an active member of Trinity Wall Street’s men’s group.

Drew leaves two sons, Francesco Michael Pardus-abbadessa and Pavol Giovanni Pardus-abbadessa.  His brother Michael (Susan) Pardus, Jeffrey Pardus, Christopher (Terri) Pardus and the late Lisa Marie Pardus, and an incredible treasure trove of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins, each who have enriched his life.

A funeral service will be held on Thursday January 11, 2024 at Trinity Wall Street, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271.

Memorial contributions may be made to Trinity Church Wall St, the American Cancer Society,  or Carnegie Melon Scholarship Fund or the World Wild Life Fund.

Services will be livestreamed if you click the following link: https://trinitywallstreet.org/videos/rite-burial-drew-scott-pardus-abbadessa

 

Eulogy

Drew Scott Pardus-abbadessa

January 11, 2024 Trinity Church Wall Street

Many thanks to everyone who has come today to honor and celebrate the life of my husband, Drew Pardus-Abbadessa.  I would also like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to each person who has supported our family during Drew’s extended illness and especially during the past month or so.

I met Drew approximately twenty years ago.  It was Drew’s description of his work as a chemical engineer which initially attracted me to him.  “I want to keep the world safe for creepy and crawly things,” he said on one of our first dates.  This simple and amusing phrase encapsulates who Drew was:  He cherished humanity and all of God’s creatures.

Drew cared deeply about others. Before Drew proposed to me, he wanted to make certain that I would agree to care for his aging parents if it became necessary.  His sensitivity and thoughtfulness towards everyone he held close, including his parents, me, his family and children was emblematic of his life and who he was as a person.

My own late father adored Drew.  Amongst other things, Drew and my father shared a love of food and conversation.  In Drew, my father found a devoted comrade – a son-in-law who would enjoy a leisurely evening conversation with him after dinner accompanied by a glass of wine.  Our trip together to the town in Sicily where my father was born meant the world to my father, and it’s something I will never forget.

Our two sons, Franco and Pavol, benefited from Drew’s boundless and unshakeable love and devotion for them.  His sense of humor and the interesting stories he often told brought a buoyancy and lightness into our home which was sometimes essential with two boys sitting at a dining room table.  Those stories and his vast knowledge on a broad array of subjects always made dinner conversations interesting.

What a legacy Drew left for his sons!   Integrity, kindness, hard work and pursuing your dreams were his fundamental traits.  He was a true mensch who radiated the best of humanity.

Drew was a hard worker.  He graduated from Carnegie Mellon as a full scholarship student.  After working at Occidental Chemical and the City and state of New York, he started his own consulting firm, Pardus Environmental.

When Drew was first diagnosed with cancer, he was only given 3 – 6 months to live.  But Drew was a determined fighter who wanted to be here for as long as possible for his sons and me.  He didn’t take the easy road and lasted seven years from his date of diagnosis with the grace of God and help from modern medicine.

Throughout our twenty years of marriage, Drew would thank me daily for sharing such a wonderful day with him.  He was forever grateful for the small things in life and was always attentive towards me.  Drew, I thank you now for sharing your beautiful life and so many marvelous days with me.  It was an honor and a privilege. While we are missing you terribly here, we are positive the gates of heaven swung wide open to welcome you.  My heart may be broken, but the love we have received from family and friends has helped soften the pain of your loss, and for that I am everlastingly grateful. 

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