BRISTOL — The state of Connecticut on Feb. 20 was sent into shock when news surfaced about the legendary coach Charles A. Drury’s passing. A multi-sport coach for schools in Bristol, Southington and Pomperaug, Drury died after a car accident in upstate New York. He was 77.
While the state and his family mourned the death of the longtime educator and Bristol resident, there was an outpouring of stories around the type of person he was. They were all different stories, with different people, but one common theme – Drury being a leader and a father figure to everyone he came across.
Drury’s success as a coach at Bristol Central, Pomperaug and Southington pales in comparison to the relationships that he cultivated, appreciated and sustained.
Charles Drury’s son, Chuck, said his father’s legacy is that he cared about people.
“He was a people person,” Chuck Drury said. “He put others above himself, always. Not only within the family, but in his career and I think that had a major impact on a lot of people. He really cared about each individual that he came across either at work, at the bagel shop, at home, on the field. I think his legacy is and always will be that he cared about people.”
Charles Drury, who also affectionately went by “Chuck,” began his teaching and coaching career right out of college during the 70’s at Bristol Central.
While he’s more closely associated with Pomperaug in his 40-year career, he started as an assistant football coach under the legendary Ralph Papazian and also served as the school’s head wrestling coach from 1973 to 1976. He compiled a record of 42-11-1 as the Rams’ head coach. Drury then left Bristol Central in 1976 to take the head football coaching job at Pomperaug High School.
He taught and coached at the Southbury school for 33 years. He was the head football coach for 27 years in two stints and won 152 games including the 2004 Class MM State Championship.
Drury retired from Pomperaug when his son, Mike, was named head football coach at Southington in 2011. He spent the next 12 years as an assistant for the Blue Knights. He returned to Bristol Central this past fall as a volunteer assistant to veteran Bristol Central freshman football coach Dave Talmadge to coach his grandson, Jack Gohsler.
Chuck Drury said while his father began his career fresh out of college he had to earn the respect of his students and his peers. He said he learned how to relate to young people and believes that that’s the key reason as to what he’ll be remembered for.
“I feel that would be his legacy and what people remember him for. His smile, his determination, and his willingness to take care of others and make sure they're on the right path,” Chuck Drury said. “We have received so many stories from kids going back years and years that talk about how much he did for them. We didn't know. He would really get to know kids and really help them along the way.”
Chuck Drury said his father taught him and his siblings integrity, hard work, humility, respect for others and the importance of family. He said it was overwhelming to see the outpouring of people who reached out after the news of his father’s passing and to see that the same values he taught his children he shared with so many others.
“It was overwhelming. I mean, obviously, being my dad I know how much of a great guy and a great father he's always been, but to see individuals going back to the 70s reaching out, former players, former colleagues, and all saying pretty much a common theme of how great a guy he was and how much he did for them, it was overwhelming and it was really touching, too. It was an exclamation point on his life and he did a great job and he touched a lot of people.”
Some of the people in the community such as current Bristol Central football coach Jeff Papazian spoke on how positively Charles Drury influenced so many people over the years and that he’ll certainly be missed.
The Pomperaug School District called Drury a legend and highlighted his impact on his students and his respect for others. Even the UConn Football team shared their condolences to the legendary football coach.
Charles Drury’s ability to coach and connect with his players is something that came natural to his son, Mike. Mike Drury didn’t necessarily know that he wanted to be a coach at the beginning. He went to Marist College as a finance major, but wasn’t very passionate about it.
Mike Drury said after speaking with his father he realized he should’ve taken the path that his father did in education. He became a special education teacher and his first job coaching was as an assistant coach for his father at Pomperaug.
Later on when he had an opportunity to become the head coach at Southington, he was set to become the youngest coach in the state. He asked his father to come with him to learn from his experience.
“I think the biggest thing I learned besides the Xs and Os and all the stuff that have to do with football is one of the most important things my dad did, no matter where he was, whether he was at Southington, Pomperaug or Bristol Central, was the relationships that he built with the kids and coaches,” Mike Drury said. “He was a mentor to coaches. Those are the things that go such a long way with a program, and, and just how much kids will work hard for you if you build those great relationships.”
He said a coach can coach a player hard, but the true gift is to build the down to earth relationships.
“That's what his gift was and to me and I know I see it in my brothers and sisters a lot, too, and that's something I hope to strive to be able to do,” he said. “To have those types of relationships with people and have the impact that he has had on people.”
Mike Drury also echoed the sentiments of his brother Chuck about the fascinating nature of the stories they heard about their dad over the last couple weeks. He said even though he spent everyday with his father for the last 13-14 years, it still was incredible to see and hear the things that his dad did for people.
He said people always told him that his dad was a special one and while he knew that as his son, he didn’t fully understand just how much until now.
“He's an unbelievable person. We're very lucky. I'm fortunate to have him,” Mike Drury said. “You see it with his interaction with the family and how close he was with our family and his grandchildren. He lived a life worth living.”
Charles Drury’s funeral services will start on Thursday, April 18 with a visitation at Funk Funeral Home located at 35 Bellevue Ave. in Bristol between 4 and 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, April 19 at 11 a.m. at St. Gregory the Great Church located at 235 Maltby St. in Bristol.
Burial, with military honors, will follow in St. Joseph Cemetery, Bristol. Drury served 14 years in the National Guard. Memorial donations may be made to the Bristol Boys and Girls Club located at 255 West St. in Bristol.