ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Madeleine “Maddy” Maxwell passed away in Asheville, N.C. on June 14, 2023, from complications related to a long struggle with ulcerative colitis.

Maddy was born April 20, 1945, in Rockville Center, N.Y., but her family soon moved to Gardiner where she grew up, and where she developed her lifelong love for the State of Maine. Maddy was the beloved wife of David Maxwell, president (now emeritus) of Drake University for 16 years.

After graduating from Gardiner High School in 1963, Maddy attended Rhode Island School of Design and graduated in 1967 with a degree in graphics. She had a distinguished career as an illustrator, art director, creative director and as the owner of her own boutique creative firm outside of Boston, Mass. Maddy won several national awards for her work, and had a number of distinguished clients, including Bank of Boston, Harvard University Business School, the MIT Library and Children’s Hospital of Boston.

In 1999, Maddy and David headed for Des Moines, Iowa to begin David’s presidency and Maddy’s wonderful work as Drake’s “First Lady.” When they were on their way to Washington Dulles Airport for the campus interviews as a finalist for the presidency, Maddy said to David, “Now I finally get to see heaven.” David (a Grinnell College alum) asked what she meant, and she said, “You’ve been talking about Iowa since the day I met you, and now I get to see it!”

In spite of getting job offers from several firms in Des Moines, Iowa, Maddy threw herself into the life of Drake University. She taught a course in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, mentored dozens (at least) of Drake students, many of whom have stayed in touch with her since she and David retired and who have contacted David with words of appreciation, admiration and love in the days since Maddy’s passing. The standard form of greeting from students on campus was (a serious), “Hi President Maxwell,” then “HI MADDY!!!!!”

Maddy often said that her goal was “to make Drake shine,” and she fulfilled that goal, consulting with Drake’s Marketing and Communications Department (at their request!), organizing and hosting events at the Home of the President and on campus from small groups to gatherings of hundreds. She brought together students, faculty, staff, members of the community, visiting dignitaries and celebrities from all around the globe. With Maddy’s incredible leadership, creativity and organizational skills (and wonderful help from Drake staff and students), the Maxwells hosted over 1,000 people a year in the Home of the President. She traveled with David to Drake events all around the country, always making sure the people she met knew what a remarkable place Drake is (and often telling them they needed to donate more money in her own disarming and direct way!)

Maddy was very active in the Des Moines, Iowa community and was named a “Woman of Influence” by the Business Record in 2009. Her involvement in Bras for the Cause, an organization that funds health care for women, led to one of the Maxwells’ more memorable moments. Bras for the Cause has an annual event for which people submitted art works based on women’s bras (Maddy’s first entry was a “Candelabra….”—yes, it had candles on it!) After Maddy’s submission won the prize as the best, two years in a row, she was asked to refrain from submitting and instead recruit entries from her friends around the country. As a result, there were seven or eight submissions sent to her at the Home of the President in anticipation of the upcoming event and auction, and they were placed in David’s study. While they were there, the Maxwells hosted John Roberts for dinner with a group of Law School faculty and students, and David was placed in the unusual position of explaining to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court why his study was filled with decorated brassieres!

Maddy was a creative force, someone who literally saw things that the rest of us couldn’t and turned them into incredible drawings, paintings, designs and events. She made people smile, she made them happy, and she often made them better for having been part of their lives. She looked for beauty in everything, and always said that she could find something good in (almost) everyone. She was passionate about justice, honesty, beauty, the environment—and constantly puzzled by and often angry that America has descended into toxic rhetoric, culture wars, violence and environmental destruction. She knew we could do better, and that we had to.

Maddy leaves behind her husband, David; son, Justin (Cynthia) and her two grandsons whom she adored; son, Stephen (Sieren); sister, Marsha and brother, Norman.

There will be an informal memorial gathering for friends and family at the Maxwells’ island on Togus Pond sometime in August. Drake University will be hosting a Celebration of Life in the fall.

Donations in Maddy’s name can be made to the

“Maddy Maxwell

Scholarship for Women” fund at Drake University,

or to the

Worromontogus Lake Association

(https://www.toguspond.org/)

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