Obituary for Garfield R. "Skip" Drake III
Garfield R. "Skip" Drake III,
61, of 402 1/2 E. Ayer St., Ironwood, died Saturday, July 10, 2010, in
Ironwood. He was born April 18, 1949, in Wakefield, son
of Garfield R."Duke" and Cleo Mary (Stilwill) Drake, attended Ironwood schools,
and graduated from Luther L. Wright High School in 1967. He then attended
Gogebic Community College for 1 1/2 years. Skip served four years in the U.S. Navy aboard
an LST ferrying troops to and from Vietnam. Following his honorable discharge,
he returned home and worked as a cook at Beaver Lodge in Mercer, Wis., and at
the Gogebic Country Club and Big Boy Restaurant in Ironwood. He then was
employed at Stilwill Heating in Ironwood as an estimator for three years
until retiring due to a disability. A dedicated veteran, Skip was a life member
and past commander of Ironwood American Legion Post 5, and served in the Post 5
Honor Guard, a life member of Ironwood Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1823, and
life member and past commander of Northland Chapter No. 66, Disabled American
Veterans. He was also past commander of AMVETS Post 490 and Hurley Pup Tent
35, Military Order of the Cootie, and was the present Chef De Gare, No. 397,
Gogebic County Voiture 40 et 8. He loved hunting and fishing, and enjoyed
playing cribbage, smear, poker and blackjack. Surviving are his parents, Duke and Cleo
Mary Drake, Ironwood; an aunt, Jackie Shouldice, Ironwood; uncle, Rae (Carol)
Drake, Crystal Falls; cousins, Russell (Carole) Skovera, Ironwood, Pat (Grover)
McLin, Grosse Ile, Gretta K. (David) Todd, Bloomfield Hills, and David (Arline)
Shouldice, Lake in the Hills, Ill.; and numerous other relatives. Out of respect for Skip's wishes, cremation
has taken place. Memorial services will be held Friday, July
16, at 11 a.m., at the McKevitt-Patrick Funeral Home, 305 N. Lowell St., in
Ironwood, with the Revs. Mary Ann Miller and Francis Strong
co-officiating. Full military honors will be accorded by the
Ironwood American Legion Post 5 Honor Guard. Luncheon will follow at Tacconelli's in
downtown Ironwood. Relatives and friends may call at the funeral
home one hour prior to the service on Friday. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to
HOPE, DOVE, the local Salvation Army, or the Muscular Dystrophy
Association. To view Skip's obituary online, sign the
guestbook or express condolences, visit
mckevittpatrickfuneralhome.com. Arrangements are entrusted to McKevitt-Patrick
Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Ironwood.
61, of 402 1/2 E. Ayer St., Ironwood, died Saturday, July 10, 2010, in
Ironwood. He was born April 18, 1949, in Wakefield, son
of Garfield R."Duke" and Cleo Mary (Stilwill) Drake, attended Ironwood schools,
and graduated from Luther L. Wright High School in 1967. He then attended
Gogebic Community College for 1 1/2 years. Skip served four years in the U.S. Navy aboard
an LST ferrying troops to and from Vietnam. Following his honorable discharge,
he returned home and worked as a cook at Beaver Lodge in Mercer, Wis., and at
the Gogebic Country Club and Big Boy Restaurant in Ironwood. He then was
employed at Stilwill Heating in Ironwood as an estimator for three years
until retiring due to a disability. A dedicated veteran, Skip was a life member
and past commander of Ironwood American Legion Post 5, and served in the Post 5
Honor Guard, a life member of Ironwood Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1823, and
life member and past commander of Northland Chapter No. 66, Disabled American
Veterans. He was also past commander of AMVETS Post 490 and Hurley Pup Tent
35, Military Order of the Cootie, and was the present Chef De Gare, No. 397,
Gogebic County Voiture 40 et 8. He loved hunting and fishing, and enjoyed
playing cribbage, smear, poker and blackjack. Surviving are his parents, Duke and Cleo
Mary Drake, Ironwood; an aunt, Jackie Shouldice, Ironwood; uncle, Rae (Carol)
Drake, Crystal Falls; cousins, Russell (Carole) Skovera, Ironwood, Pat (Grover)
McLin, Grosse Ile, Gretta K. (David) Todd, Bloomfield Hills, and David (Arline)
Shouldice, Lake in the Hills, Ill.; and numerous other relatives. Out of respect for Skip's wishes, cremation
has taken place. Memorial services will be held Friday, July
16, at 11 a.m., at the McKevitt-Patrick Funeral Home, 305 N. Lowell St., in
Ironwood, with the Revs. Mary Ann Miller and Francis Strong
co-officiating. Full military honors will be accorded by the
Ironwood American Legion Post 5 Honor Guard. Luncheon will follow at Tacconelli's in
downtown Ironwood. Relatives and friends may call at the funeral
home one hour prior to the service on Friday. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to
HOPE, DOVE, the local Salvation Army, or the Muscular Dystrophy
Association. To view Skip's obituary online, sign the
guestbook or express condolences, visit
mckevittpatrickfuneralhome.com. Arrangements are entrusted to McKevitt-Patrick
Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Ironwood.