Our Founder

As published in The Bay City Tribune; April 5, 2015 — By Barry Halvorson

In remembering their Matagorda Bay Chapter of Serve Outdoors mentor Drew McGinnis, friends said few persons could "fill his one shoe."

Andrew James "Drew" McGinnis Jr. passed away while on a Serve Outdoors turkey hunting trip to Cuero, TX. He was 68. McGinnis, like many of the U.S. military veterans he worked with, also was disabled. A vet himself, McGinnis lost a leg later in life. It was just that McGinnis never saw himself as disabled.

"He had to have his foot amputated and he saw the struggle it was for those servicemen who had also lost a leg or arm to deal with it. I think he felt that God called him to help them get through that. He was always a very outdoor person. And he didn't allow his disability to hinder him."

— Sharon McGinnis, Drew's wife

According to his wife, McGinnis' interest in taking a more active role in providing opportunities for hunting and fishing trips for veterans really came into focus after meeting Missouri resident Al Smith who introduced him to Serve Outdoors. In addition to founding the Matagorda Bay Chapter, McGinnis also helped to organize two other chapters in Texas, the Lone Star and New Braunfels Chapters.

"He had a heart attack in 2002 and while they were trying to revive him, he said he had a dream that came from God he should be helping people. He was always a very religious person as well as being a very patriotic person. He served in the U.S. Navy during Vietnam and remembered how those soldiers and sailors returning home were not recognized as the heroes they are."

— Sharon McGinnis

In his last months, McGinnis lost his other leg and was confined to a wheelchair. A potential setback for others, he saw it as just another opportunity. While he was in a wheelchair, he already had a new leg made and was working so he'd be able to walk again. In fact, he was going to be receiving a 'track' chair — a mobilized wheelchair with treads that would allow him to move around in the outdoors without assistance.

"He was good at getting along with everyone. He just loved people."

— Sharon McGinnis