David Browning Drake

On September 5, 2022, David Browning Drake, father of three and loving husband, passed away at the age of 81 at the Israel Family Hospice House in Ames, concluding a hard-fought battle with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

David was born December 3, 1940 in St. Louis to Frank Thomas Drake and Ruth Ellen Etter. David was raised in Webster Groves, Missouri and attended the University of Missouri in Columbia, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering in 1962. He then enlisted in the United States Navy, where he: completed officer training in Newport, Rhode Island; played trumpet in the Drum and Bugle Corps; completed underwater scuba diving school in Florida; took voluntary training in emergency ordnance disposal in Maryland; served station duty in Adak, Alaska; served aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise aircraft carrier; and served in the Armed Forces Courier Service in Virginia, and even flew to Spain. After David was honorably discharged in 1966, he drove the entire length of the Alaska-Canadian Highway and returned to the Midwest, and later earned a Master’s in Landscape Architecture from Iowa State University in 1969. That same year, David married Sharon Krull, of Britt, Iowa. Together, they had two daughters, Katie (1971) and Anne (1974). David and Sharon separated in 1981, and David remarried in 1983 to Diane Hildreth of Ankeny. Together they had a son, Tom (1985). David served the Iowa Department of Transportation in Ames as the Environmental Coordinator for 34 years before retiring in 2006.

David typically kept to himself, preferred a quiet lifestyle, and had a fondness for the outdoors. In Ames, he could be found biking across town in all weather conditions and recording home videos of the trains that came through town. He was an Eagle Scout, an amateur radio hobbyist, a model railroader, and a lifelong French horn player, including the All County Band in high school in Webster Groves and the Heart of Iowa Senior Band in Ames. Though he wasn’t generally a sports fan, he always enjoyed watching the St. Louis Cardinals, his hometown team. David is fondly remembered for his comforting presence and his deep affection for Diane, the love of his life. David and Diane would have celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary next June, and David’s greatest wish was to reach that milestone.

The family expresses their deepest gratitude to Dr. Sreenath Kodali and the entire care team in the Oncology department at William R. Bliss Cancer Center at Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames. Your extraordinary attentiveness, dedication, and support gave David and Diane invaluable extra time together. The family also thanks the staff at the Israel Family Hospice House, whose skill and grace helped provide essential comfort at the end of his journey.

David is preceded in death by his father, Frank, and his mother, Ruth. He is survived by: his wife, Diane; his brothers, Steve (Janet) and Robert (Marlene); his children, Katie Peters (Eric Peters), Anne Drake (John Schwartz), and Tom Drake (Stacy); his stepson, Mike Downs (Heidi Schwab); and six grandchildren.

A celebration of life will be held at 12 pm on October 1, 2022 at Daley Shelter in Daley Park & Greenbelt in Ames. The family will also plant a Northern Red Oak tree in David’s memory with the assistance of the City of Ames Parks and Recreation Department. If you wish to contribute to a memorial for David, the family asks that you direct donations to the American Cancer Society (cancer.org), the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (lls.org), or the Mary Greeley Foundation (mgmc.org/foundation). The family also encourages anyone who’s eligible and willing to consider donating whole blood or platelets, which are critical resources when treating leukemia patients.