Drusella (Dru) Adkins was born on June 1, 1948 in Newport News, Va., to Emmett D. (Buddy) Smith Jr. and Ann P. Smith.

She attended Jane H. Bryan Elementary School in Hampton, Va., until 1957, when the family moved to Long Island, N.Y. Dru attended elementary and junior high in Hauppauge from 1957-1964. She started playing clarinet in the elementary school band and then played oboe in the junior/senior high school band.

The Smith family returned to Hampton in 1964, where Dru attended Hampton High School and worked part-time evenings and weekends as a telephone operator for Bell Atlantic (now Verizon). Following her graduation in 1966, Dru continued to work part-time as a telephone operator while attending classes at Christopher Newport University.

In 1967, Dru left college to accept a full-time telephone operator position with Bell Atlantic in Newport News. She retired as a service representative in 1993 with 28 years of service.

In 1968, Dru married Elvin (Butch) Adkins and celebrated 48 years of marriage until his death in 2017. While living in Hampton, they built a house in Gloucester and moved there in 2000, where Dru became a member of St. Therese Catholic Church.

Dru was an active retiree; she was a member and officer for the local Bell Atlantic (Verizon) Pioneers, where she served as president in 2007. She sang in the St. Therese choir and was a member of the Theresians. She also completed over 2,000 hours of volunteer service with the Master Gardeners.

Due to her failing health, she spent her last 14 months at Heron Cove in Gloucester where she passed away in the company of family and friends on September 4, 2024. She is survived by her sister, Nancy Steelman (Roger); brother, Dr. Martin F. Smith (Joyce); nephew, Thomas Antonio (Tony) Vigilante; cousins, and many friends.

The family received friends at the funeral home on Monday, September 9, 2024, from 4-5:30 p.m. A Mass was held on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, at 12 p.m. at The Church of St. Therese. Interment was Wednesday, September 11, 2024, at 11 a.m. at Parklawn Memorial Park in Hampton. Memorial donations may be made to Gloucester-Mathews Humane Society, The Shriners Children’s Hospital, or to the Arbor Foundation.

Andrews Funeral Home, Gloucester, was in charge of arrangements.