Willa Karyle Drummond

Willa H. Drummond, MD, MS came to Gainesville for a job interview in 1978. She immediately fell in love with the trees and open spaces. So, she passed up a position at Harvard University and joined the UF Department of Pediatrics. She had had enough of big city life. Dr. Drummond devoted herself to studying the disease Primary Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn. Her seminal (she would argue “ovarian” was a more appropriate term) research led to the treatment and cure of this once lethal disease. A love of horses led her to partner with UF College of Veterinary Medicine faculty, and the field of Equine Neonatology was born. Premature foals now survive to become winning racehorses thanks to her efforts. Frustrated with the slow pace of the development of electronic medical records, in 1999, she attained a Master’s of Science in Medical Informatics; she needed a better understanding of computers to influence the emerging field. She retired from the University of Florida in 2011 as an internationally acclaimed Professor of Pediatrics and Neonatology with an honorary appointment at the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Willa’s other love, the trees and the environment, frequently landed her in hot water with her bosses. The water was especially hot when she became the unwitting protagonist of a sensational story in The Gainesville Sun. The weekend of Easter 1980, Willa went for her morning run to find that a neighbor was cutting down ancient oaks along the SW 56 Avenue Scenic Road without a permit. She ran home for chains and padlocks and chained herself to an injured oak threatened by a huge bulldozer. This was the first time her name appeared in the local paper. She continued her advocacy, and with a group of neighbors, successfully battled the building of a huge residential development at the north rim of Payne’s Prairie. This neighborhood effort led to the Serenola/Idylwild Special Area Study Group which put in place strict development regulations for this forested section of Gainesville. She was often involved in County Commission meetings forcefully presenting data to support environmental protections. Several county commissioners had expressed their displeasure with her efforts. To soften her approach, she decided to bring yellow roses to the commissioners. The Gainesville Sun reported that Dr. Drummond had “rushed the podium and thrown roses at the commissioners.” Years went by and she next landed in the Police Beat of The Sun. This time it was reported that “Farmer Drummond,” single-handedly, armed with a hammer, prevented the dumping of raw sewage on her neighbor’s land by blocking the septic tank truck with her vehicle and facing down the large, burly driver. Willa donated 33 acres of her beautiful land to the Alachua Conservation Trust. The land is now conserved as part of the Serenola Forest.

In the very early hours of May 2, 2026, Willa crossed the Rainbow Bridge with an unruly Honor Guard made up of her 8 Siamese cats. She is survived by dozens of UF NICU graduates, and the trees and wildlife of the Serenola Forest.

Crevasse’s Simple Cremation is honored to serve the Drummond family.