Obituary of John Clayton Drake, Jr.

John Clayton Drake, Jr., 82, of Lawrenceburg, KY peacefully passed away at his residence surrounded by his family on Sunday, May 19, 2024.

He was born June 8, 1941 in Bloomfield, KY where he graduated from Bloomfield High School. He received his Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Biology, Chemistry, and Math from Morehead State University. While working on his Masters Degree, he met and married his loving wife of 54 years, Carolyn Stephens Drake. John was an educator, environmental researcher, curriculum developer, and program coordinator. In his early career, he was a high school teacher in Bath, Nelson, Anderson, and Franklin counties, and Breckinridge Training School on Morehead campus. John later accepted a position at Hazard Community College where he taught biology, anatomy/physiology, and math, attaining the position of Associate Professor in the Science department and was instrumental in founding the Nursing program. He retired from the Kentucky Department of Education as an Administrative Program Manager. A man of many talents, John was the church song leader for many years as a member of the Church of Christ and enjoyed writing poetry and music, tinkering, landscaping, gardening, singing in choir, caring for his dogs, and exploring science and cosmology. He was a devoted and loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, and uncle.

John is preceded in death by his parents, John Clayton Drake and Lula Mae Greer Drake; siblings, David Houston Drake, Martha Ann Drake, and Eva Drake Waldridge.

John is survived by his wife Carolyn Drake; son, John Clayton Drake III (Jennifer Smith), and  daughter, Jennifer Carol Drake; siblings Samuel Drake (Dona), Ida Lee Baxter (Kenneth), Mary Simpson (Jimmy), Delton Drake (Debbie); sister-in-law Beverly Boone Drake and brother-in-law Wally Waldridge; grandchildren Julio Azteca Drake, Diego Miguel Drake, Emelia Anne Johnson “Sunny,” and Matthew Oliver Johnson “Ollie", and, of course, his two dogs, Angel Lou and Jasper Lee, as well as a host of other family and friends who loved him.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, from 10:00am to 1:00pm at Saffell House Funeral Home in Lawrenceburg, KY. The funeral service will be at 1:00pm. A graveside service will be held afterward at Big Spring Cemetery, Bloomfield, KY. "Big" Sam Drake Sr., brother of John, will be officiating the service.
 

Saffell House Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with the arrangements.
Condolences to the family may be expressed at www.saffellhousefuneralhome.com