Drew Goetjen
1935-2016

It is with a heavy heart that we share the passing of our dad Drew Goetjen. He passed away at Kaiser Hospital in Oakland, Calif., after a lengthy illness.

Drew was born in Tracy, Calif., on Oct. 20, 1935, and was a son of the late Adolph and Leslie Goetjen.

He married the love of his life, Carollou Watson, on July 12, 1962, in San Francisco and then they moved to Santa Rosa where they lived the rest of their lives.

In the beginning Drew was a bellboy for the historical Flamingo Hotel and afterward he worked at the Sonoma State Hospital where he worked until retirement for 28 years. During that time he worked with his wife Carol side by side at the hospital for almost 25 of those years.

Drew was a very kind and gentle soul; he had an artistic flair and was well known for painting holiday windows for many of Sonoma counties local businesses and he always enjoyed how his talent brought a smile to people’s faces.

He loved all animals great and small which included raising an orphan raccoon where she became to be part of the Goetjen family. He supported many animal rescue organizations and never lived a day without at least one rescue pup in his back yard to follow him around his beautifully landscaped yard.

One of his favorite hobbies was his personal collection of anything and everything in Disney character collectibles that he could get his hands on.

He also took great pride in his love for the famous Marilyn Monroe even before she became the “well known starlet” on the movie screen and had quite a few collectible pieces that he cherished of her.

Drew had such a loving and generous heart and was always so kind and giving to others.

He joined his beloved wife of 52 years, Carollou Watson; and his sons, Gary Michael, Wilson Goetjen and Roger Scott Goetjen.

He leaves behind his loving memories to be cherished by his brother James Goetjen from Grays River, Wash., and his sister, Tammy Novoa of San Luis Obispo, Calif.; son, Troy and his wife Tawn Goetjen of Nice, Calif.; and daughter, Gina Goetjen of Hayden, Idaho; grandchildren, Shay Willig of Chico, Calif., Chad Samuelson of Sacramento, Calif., and Chase Goetjen, Colton Goetjen and Camden Goetjen, all of Nice.

A private burial and funeral service were held at the Oak Mound Cemetery in Healdsburg California where he was laid to rest.