James Stewart Drake
Oct. 10, 1933-Sept. 28, 2019
Atherton, California

James Stewart Drake James "Jim" Stewart Drake of Atherton, California, passed away on September 28, 2019, two weeks prior to his 86th birthday. He was proceeded in death by his beloved wife, Mary Ann Knapp Drake, and leaves behind his three children: Catherine "Cat" Griffin, Stephen "Steve" Drake and Alison Pack, six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his younger sister, Virginia Drake Brenner. Jim was born in San Mateo, California on October 10, 1933. He was a fourth generation Californian. His father, Donald Drake, was born in San Francisco in 1905 and was visiting his grandfather who lived in Sonoma, when the 1906 earthquake destroyed his family's home in San Francisco. His father's family ultimately moved to San Mateo. When Jim was a preschooler, his father was transferred to Santa Cruz, California, where the family was living when World War II broke out. Soon after, his father was transferred to Palo Alto when Jim was in the fourth grade. In his succeeding years, Jim was diagnosed with Polio and was hospitalize hoping for a cure. Luckily, Jim made a complete recovery. Jim subsequently grew up in Palo Alto and in 1951, he graduated from Palo Alto High School and never moved out of the Bay Area, after his graduation. Jim was a businessman who at one point, owned the Drake and Knapp Paint Store in Menlo Park, but worked the majority of his adult life in the banking industry. Jim was the President of the Menlo Park Chamber of Commerce from 1982 to 1983 and was a long time member of the Rotary Club. Jim was an avid fisherman and loved the out-of-doors. He was a member of the Henry's Fork Foundation in Idaho, where he spent time whenever possible, fly-fishing. Jim was a staunch San Francisco 49'ers fan and San Francisco Giants Fan. He played baseball growing up and as a young adult and later on in life, coached young boys in Little League Baseball. He was an avid reader, particularly of American History, where his passion for the United States Constitution resulted in his acquisition of a wealth of information. He was also a long time member of the Menlo Park Presbyterian Church and was a dedicated constituent of his Men's Covenant Group.