Gary Richard Drewing

Gary Richard Drewing, 74, of Columbia, Missouri, passed away peacefully on Friday, January 28, 2022. Gary was born November 26, 1947, in St. Louis, Mo. to Fred and Virginia Rehg Drewing. He was a 1966 graduate of Christian Brothers College High School in St. Louis where he was a stand-out athlete, earning accolades in football and track. Gary's strong competitive nature endured for the remainder of his life, an attribute that was foundational to his business career. Highly recruited to play football in college, Gary ultimately graduated from St. Louis University in 1971 with a degree in accounting and marketing, and shortly after married Virgina "Ginny" Hespen Drewing. He later obtained his Master's in Business Administration from St. Louis University. Upon graduation, he accepted a position with the Ford Motor Company district sales office in St. Louis and rose through the ranks until 1979, when he was offered a position at the company's Detroit headquarters. Gary saw more opportunity selling cars and turned down Ford's offer. It turned out to be the beginning of a legendary career on the retail side of the automobile business. Gary began his retail career at a dealership in Decatur, Illinois and was eventually lured to Jefferson City, Missouri by the owner of Capital City Ford. In 1982, Gary was elevated to the General Manager of Capital City Ford, but the promise of ownership in the dealership was not happening. During that time, someone arranged a meeting between Gary and Joe Machens in Columbia, Missouri. Gary accepted Machens' offer of a minority ownership position and commenced employment at the dealership on April 15, 1983. His impact on the growth of the dealership was substantial and immediate. Gary often said "I was fortunate enough to find a partner who gave me the resources and the capital and let me take off with the business." Gary ultimately grew Joe Machens Ford into one of the largest Ford dealerships in the country, consistently ranking in the top 25 Ford dealerships nationally. It was also the largest dealership of any kind in the state of Missouri and one of the largest in the Midwest. Shortly after, Gary's son Rusty came into the business in 2005 and the duo began acquiring other dealerships and adding additional franchises. At the time of the sale of eight of their ten dealerships in 2015, the Joe Machens Dealerships had approximately $850 million in annual revenue, almost 1,000 employees, 10 rooftops and 16 brands and were high in the Wards and Automotive News rankings as one of the top dealership groups in the country. Gary's business philosophy was simple: treat customers fairly, with dignity and respect - and push hard. He was very active in the Columbia community over the years, serving on the boards of Columbia College, Columbia Regional Hospital, Shelter Bank and UMB Bank. He and his long-time companion, Mary Jo Henry, also supported many local charitable organizations, including the Muscular Dystrophy Association, True North, MU Children's Hospital and local baseball and softball teams. His companies have been major contributors to the United Way campaign for many years. Gary was an avid fan of the KC Chiefs and St. Louis Cardinals. His hobbies included being outdoors, hunting and fishing and his regular getaways to their family farm. The farm was a sanctuary for rest and relaxation, spending time outdoors and enjoying his family, especially with his son, Gary Jr. Gary is also survived by his sons, Gary Jr. (Sarah) and Rusty (Shannon) Drewing of Columbia; brother, Greg (Janet) Drewing of Jacksonville, Florida; grandchildren, Brayden, Mateo, and Rory Drewing and Jackson and Stella Forck; an aunt, Doris Rehg Thone and uncle, Jimmy Rehg; and dogs, Griffin and Gracie. He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Mike Drewing. Gary was a pillar in the Columbia community for almost 40 years and will be deeply missed by his family, friends, neighbors, employees and all who knew him. Friends will be received on Friday, February 4, 2022 from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Christian Fellowship Church, 5054 Chapel Hill Road, Columbia. Funeral services will be 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 5 at Christian Fellowship Church. A private graveside service will follow. Memorial contributions may be made to MU Children's Hospital, 1 Hospital Drive, Columbia, MO 65212; Boys and Girls Club of Columbia, 1200 N. 7th Street, Columbia, MO 65201 or True North, Columbia, Mo. Arrangements are under the direction of Parker-Millard Funeral Service & Crematory, 12 East Ash Street, Columbia, MO 65203, (573) 449-4153. Condolences may be left online for the family at www.parkermillard.com.