Ralph Melville Drybrough Ii

Ralph Drybrough II, a resident of Tucson, AZ, died of cancer on January 20^th, 2020. He was 72. Born in Indianapolis, IN, he attended Ms. Cook’s Kindergarten, Mary E. Nicholson School 70, and he was in the Shortridge high school class of 1965. Mr. Drybrough continued his education at DePauw University (class of 1969), where he became a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. During his senior year he transferred to Indiana University/Purdue University in Indianapolis.

He then worked part time as an advertising copywriter at the Howard W. Sams/Bobbs-Merrill Publishing (ITT) conglomerate. The company then transferred Mr. Drybrough to GK Hall and Company in Boston, where he was named advertising manager. During Mr. Drybrough’s full and part time with Sams/ITT he was exposed positively to the burgeoning field of direct mail and direct response marketing. In 1973, he was awarded a project management position with Amsterdam Company outside Schenectady, NY.

Mr. Drybrough enjoyed a long career in the niche of B2B marketing. Through the years, he held general and marketing management positions with Magnatag Products, Kole Enterprises, Abbey Press, and Pictorial Publishers. His consulting business, Drybrough & Co, operated successfully for several years. 1988 brought Mr. Drybrough to the New York area as a catalog specialist with Direct Media, Inc in Greenwich, CT. He became a partner in Direct Media in 1994, and he was the leading producer in the B2B division. Acxiom corporation purchased Direct Media in 1996, and Drybrough was named manager of the B2B division. Ultimately, Drybrough and a group of partners launched their own company, MeritDirect LLC, in 2000.

MeritDirect remains a thriving company and a leader in its field. Rob Sanchez, current CEO of MeritDirect noted: “MeritDirect would not exist today without Ralph’s tireless efforts. Merit would not be where we are without Ralph’s hard work and vision, and he will be remembered as a giant in the industry and the Merit family”.

Those who knew him best enjoyed his quick wit and distinctive method of speaking with his hands. An avid golfer, keen movie goer, and sports fan, he pursued his solitary and social interests with equal vigor. His family and friends will recall that many of their most memorable moments included good food and drink, with Frank Sinatra providing the soundtrack. He was deeply loved by many.

He is survived by his wife of 27 years, Molly (Pauline) Drybrough, his former wife Sherry Drybrough Langston, and his children Ralph Drybrough III (Catherine) of San Francisco, Andrew Drybrough of Indianapolis, Christopher Day (Jessica) of Phoenix, and Sarah Johnston (Duke) of Chicago. He is also survived by a brother, Thomas Niven Drybrough of Telluride, and two sisters, Kitty (Catharine) Ann Shepherd (Joseph) of Indianapolis, and Margot Griffith Murray (Davis) of St. Thomas, USVI. In addition, he is survived by four grandchildren, Olivia, India, Hugh, and Madison.

Funeral services will be at 11:00 AM on Saturday, February 22 at St Paul’s Episcopal Church in Indianapolis. Memorial contributions can be made to Peppi’s House, 2715 N. Wyatt Drive, Tucson, AZ 85712.