Drew Nolan

Walter “Drew” Nolan was born in Jacksonville, Florida on December 2, 1966.

Drew was a smart kid. He was curious and liked to take things apart just to understand how they worked. He got his first computer at age eleven, a TRS-80 from Radio Shack, and taught himself how to program. Drew was also stubborn. When he skipped school on the day of the PSAT to go to the beach with friends, Ed White High School tracked him down. Knowing that his high score would contribute to the school’s reputation, they had him take a make-up test. He bombed it on purpose.

At seventeen, Drew moved to Gainesville to attend the University of Florida. He took classes in math and computer science, went to punk shows, and learned to weave on a loom. While working in the kitchen at the McDonald’s next to campus, he met his future wife, Amy, who worked at the register. When Amy started waitressing at Shoney’s, Drew was her first customer. He bought a fifty-cent cup of coffee and left a one-dollar tip. They were married in 1991, and the following summer they bought their first house, welcomed their first son, and Drew began his career as employee number twenty-one at Personalized Programming in Alachua.

Drew had a love of learning that he brought to every area of his life. He liked to build things and solve problems, often choosing professional roles that put him closer to the work itself. Over the course of his career, he designed a variety of software, but will be most remembered for sharing his skills through mentorship. He was kind, paid attention, and had a genuine quality that earned the loyalty of those who worked with him.

When it came to family, Drew was all in. His marriage and his kids were his proudest accomplishments. Drew fully engaged with his family’s interests, from playing video games to marathoning teen dramas. When his son wanted to play soccer, but there was no coach for the team, Drew signed himself up. When Amy wanted to learn basketry, he jumped in with her, and before long he was making his own original designs. He constructed elaborate Halloween costumes and filled his children’s bedrooms with custom furniture made with his own hands. His kids will forever remember the excitement of seeing Dad come home with a refrigerator-sized box, knowing it was soon to be repurposed into a cardboard castle.

Drew died on September 1, 2025. He is survived by his wife of thirty-three years, Amy Nolan; his sons, Zach Nolan and Max Nolan; and his brother, Mark Nolan. The family requests that, instead of sending flowers, friends honor Drew by sharing their favorite memories of him.