John Holt Drummond Sr.

John Holt Drummond, 63, passed away suddenly at his home in Adams, Massachusetts on January 12, 2021. John was the son of James Steele Drummond and Eilleen Toner Drummond. He grew up in South Williamstown, near the current Store at Five Corners, a special place for him since it was originally the Steele family homestead where his grandmother Peg Steele Drummond Holt and his father lived for parts of their lives.
The second of five children, John graduated from Mount Greylock Regional High School in 1975. John graduated from Southern Vermont College in 1977 where he majored in accounting. John settled in Williamstown, and married Sue Sprowson. Together, they raised Johnny, Ed, Matt, David and Kyle. Although John and Sue later divorced, they both continued to share a strong sense of pride in their five sons. Over the years, John was employed by Drummond Cleaners, the Brien Center, and Walmart.
John is widely known for his love of trivia questions rivaled only by his love of Boston sports teams, the Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics, and Bruins. He would never let a Yankees, Orioles or Ravens fan forget it. John spent decades as a volunteer coach for the Williams Coop and Drummond Cleaners T-Shirt Leagues, then as a Little League coach. John also enjoyed being a member of local bowling leagues, while using his favorite color orange as a good luck charm. John was a lover of music and an exceptionally talented, self-taught piano player.
On a more personal level, John openly discussed his struggles with trauma and addiction. He reshaped his life around his commitment to his own recovery and supporting others in recovery. As a result, John developed a beautiful community network of friends guided by compassion, tolerance, and kindness. He provided leadership within several support groups and worked to become a recovery coach at the Beacon Community Center in Pittsfield. John also served on the Advisory Board of Louison House in North Adams. He provided public testimony to the effectiveness of Louison House’s help during a time he needed it. In both 2018 and 2019, the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition recognized John with awards honoring his leadership.
In 2019, John joined All Saints Berkshires Episcopal Church of North Adams. He found the church services to be a great comfort and enjoyed this welcoming, spiritual community. In the past year, he served on the Church’s vestry. In the words of his priest, “John was a shepherd.”
So many extended family, friends and community members have shared their love of John. He would be heartened to know of this outpouring and his gentle impact on so many friends.
Sadly, John was predeceased by his first son, John (Johnny) Holt Drummond, Jr.; he leaves behind his four adult sons, mentioned above, and his grandson Connor Drummond. He leaves his siblings Beth Casey, Jay Drummond, Jill Drummond, Tony Drummond and his cousin Jaime Pullen, who he treated as a sibling, along with 9 nieces and nephews. A host of cousins on the Steele and Toner sides of the family also mourn his passing.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Drummond family is planning a remote memorial service via Zoom at 11 am on Saturday, January 23, 2021. All family, friends, and community members are welcome. For service details, please check John’s Facebook tribute page.
John’s ashes will be buried later this year near his son and parents in the Drummond family plot at Southlawn Cemetery in South Williamstown, Massachusetts 01267.
Contributions may be made in John’s memory to Louison House, 149 Church Street, North Adams, MA 01247 (louisonhouse.org) or All Saints Berkshires Episcopal Church, 59 Summer St. North Adams, MA 01247. To add to the Book of Memories, please visit www.flynndagnolifuneralhomes.com.