Don Drennen Jr
Donald Ward Drennen Jr (born c. 1933; died March 4, 2011) was a second-generation owner of the Don Drennen Motor Company, founded in 1908 by his uncle, Hubert Drennen. His father, Don Drennen Sr, purchased the company in 1951.
Don, Jr grew up in Birmingham and attended Lakeview School and Ramsay High School. He graduated from the Virginia Military Institute in 1954 and spent two years as an artillery officer in the U. S. Army.
Drennen joined the family's Ensley dealership immediately afterward. He was made president in 1968. Four years later, he moved the dealership to Hoover and added AMC/Jeep to the lineup. Chrysler joined when it bought AMC in 1992.
Drennen's son Don III (called "Ward"), joined the firm in 1993 and took over day-to-day management in 2005 and became president when Drennen retired in 2009. He was given the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Birmingham Automobile Dealers Association in 2010.
Drennen was also a Scout Master for Boy Scout Troop 28 and past president of the Ensley Kiwanis Club. He was a deacon and Sunday School teacher at Brookwood Baptist Church and was Alabama president of Ducks Unlimited.
Drennen died in 2011 and is buried at Elmwood Cemetery. He was survived by his wife, Carolyn, three children, and six grandchildren.
References
- Daniels, Malcomb (March 5, 2011) "Longtime Birmingham car dealer Don Drennen Jr. dies at 77." The Birmingham News
- "Donald Ward Drennen, Jr" obituary (March 6, 2011) The Birmingham News