Grady Wynne Drake

Drake, Grady Wynne, passed away on August 4,

2019, having been the first and long time Director of Libraries for Broward College in Fort Lauderdale. Drake was from a pioneer Lake Worth family where his grandfather, Judge Alex Drake, was the city’s third mayor. Drake was the second son of T. J. and Mima Drake and is survived by his brother Chad of Atlantis. Brothers Dr. Terrence James and Gordon Allen predeceased Drake as did sister-in-laws, Betty (Gordon) and Midge (Chad). Also surviving are his nephew, Thomas (Jackie) Drake of Huntersville, NC, nieces Sheila (Ron) Wilcox of Dunnellon, FL, Sharon (Thomas) Rinehart of Dunnellon, FL, Betsy (Kenneth) Adams of Cartersville, GA, Laurie (John) Melear of Atlantis and surrogate family members Louise Geffner of Hollywood and Kelly Kalinowski of Hollywood.

Drake was born in West Palm Beach, grew up in Lake Worth and was graduated with honors from the University of Florida where he was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. Drake also spent two years at the University of Edinburgh doing graduate work in sociology. Following service for two and a half years with the 289th Combat Engineer Battalion in England, France, and Germany during WWII, he earned a degree in library service from Columbia University. The years following included working as a reference librarian at the University of California at Santa Barbara, at Northwestern University, and working as a civilian librarian for the US Air Force in France and Germany in l957 through 1959. Then in l960 he moved to Fort Lauderdale to accept the position of Director of Libraries for the Junior College of Broward County, now Broward College from which he retired in 1989. Drake was a kind, generous, thoughtful individual with a quick sense of humor and a way with words. He was a gracious host, and with a feeling of noblesse oblige he maintained annual memberships at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Art Institute in Chicago, the Norton Gallery in West Palm Beach, the Harn Museum at the University of Florida and the Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale. He was also a Kentucky Colonel. In retirement Drake traveled extensively in many parts of the world; but while at home, which he facetiously named BRICKHENGE, he made ceramics on a potter’s wheel. “God rest you merry, Gentlemen”.

Burial arrangements are with the Neptune Society. Drake’s ashes will be interred at the Olivet Cemetery in Perkins, Oklahoma, where his great grandfather gave to the city the land for the cemetery. At his request no burial services will be held. Friends and others wishing to make a memorial gift can do so by sending a contribution to the scholarship fund (Designation Grady Drake) at the Broward College Foundation, 401 East Las Olas Boulevard Suite #130-458, Fort Lauderdale,

33301. Grady is loved by many and will be missed. Personal notes may be sent to the family by way of Sheila Drake Wilcox, 8878 SW 190th Circle, Dunnellon, FL 34432.

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