Anthony Wayne Drake

Anthony Wayne Drake was born on July 8, 1957, in Lake Charles, Louisiana, to Willie Dan and Mary Bell Drake. Anthony, commonly known as Tony, is the third oldest of six children. He has two brothers and three sisters. Around the age of 7, Tony and his family moved to South Central in Los Angeles, California, where he grew up. He attended Samuel Gompers Junior High and Jordan High School. He was always very quiet and smart even in childhood. You would often catch him reading, and his drive to learn was very healthy. He questioned everything and always read and looked things up for himself. This is something that would lead him to be strong willed, and perhaps sometimes stubborn. You couldn’t change his mind once it was made up.

Contrary to his other siblings, he was quite eccentric. Tony loved different sports such as hockey and table tennis. He also spent some of his free time watching his favorite shows like M*A*S*H, Hogan’s Heroes, Get Smart, and Star Trek. His siblings and friends knew not to disturb him during his shows. Yet, while he was often reserved, he would be quick to tell you the truth – or worse – tell someone else the truth and snitch before you had the chance.

College

After graduating from high school, Tony packed his bags and drove up to the Bay Area to attend San Jose State University to study Accounting. He kept to a strict schedule while at SJSU: wake up, eat, study, class, study, eat, table tennis, repeat. Fun fact: Tony was so into table tennis, he entered into some of his school’s table tennis competitions. In 1975, he met his best friend Dennis Wylie, and through Dennis he soon met his other best friends: Clarence, Chris, and Karl. Because Dennis was on the football team, Tony attended every football game while at SJSU, a tradition that would live on for decades to come.

After graduating in 1980, he decided to stay in San Jose for the remainder of his life. To continue his education, he later on got his Masters in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix in 1999.

Building a Career

Tony worked many jobs starting in high school and up until he was 63 years old. He was a dishwasher, worked at a swimwear company, Runner's World Magazine, Atari, PageNet, and last but not least, California Water Service Company (Cal Water). He worked at Cal Water from 1997 until he retired in 2021 – a total of 24 years.

At Cal Water, he worked in the Accounting Department with his last title being Director of Accounting Operations. He made many connections with people at work. He was a great trainer and leader, and many stated he was a great boss. Many of his coworkers never saw him yell, swear, or raise his voice at employees. He was always calm and down-to-earth. That made him loved all around and seen as more than just a boss, but a mentor, friend, and role model. No matter how bad a project would get, he would have a smile that would light up a room. He knew he’d be able to figure things out to make the project successful.

Family

Tony met his wife, Vernette, in 1989. He met her at a picnic through Dennis and his then girlfriend, Lydia Wylie. After dating for two years, they married in 1991 in Oakland and were married for over 30 years. Their first son Austin was born in November 1995, and their second son, Christian, was born in December 1999.

The Drake Family would often watch many TV shows and movies together. Since he grew up watching Star Trek and other Sci-Fi shows and movies, they often watched Star Trek, Star Wars, Marvel, DC, and drama shows and films. He loved watching various shows and their spinoffs, so he was always watching shows on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, CBS, CW, etc. He was a curious explorer when it came to shows – even watching Anime after he retired. Every couple months, the family would go see a new movie – their own special way of bonding. Additionally, as a family, they would travel to see extended family in Southern California, Oakland, and go to places like Disneyland, Disneyworld, and even a cruise around the Southern Caribbean.

Interests & Passions

Tony had many interests and passions. While attending SJSU, he began to faithfully watch the San Jose State Spartans Football Team. Even when he started his family, the dedicated alum would take his wife and sons to the game. He also went to San Jose Sharks games and would split season tickets with co-workers. Even though he liked teams like the LA Kings, San Jose Sharks, the LA Rams, and sometimes the Oakland Raiders, he wasn’t much of a team-based fan. On the contrary, he was a fan of many players spanning hockey, baseball, basketball, football, and eventually golf. He’d follow many SJSU football players from their college career and into the NFL. Some of those players include James Jones (Green Bay Packers) and David Fales (Chicago Bears).

He was also very, very competitive. He loved to play ping pong, and played it nearly every day religiously after work at Cal Water. Tony was competitive all around; he enjoyed bowling, table tennis, golf, miniature golf, dominos, you name it. He wanted to win, but wouldn’t be loud or gloat about it – he just wanted to win and play again. When he started golfing, he bought a small green put, and put it in the living room to practice. He even beat his kids once in a few rounds of golf at TopGolf – a win he definitely let his friends know.

Last but certainly not least, he loved teaching. He was involved in Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) for a number of years, and was involved in various roles at Emmanuel Baptist Church (EBC). He even participated in a Bible Study with close friends from EBC for about five years. He believed children, teenagers, and young adults could learn from stories from the Bible, and loved breaking it down into digestible pieces.

Church

Tony was raised in the church. He and his family attended First Baptist Church in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and when they moved to Los Angeles, they attended Third Baptist Church around the corner from their house nearly every day. He was baptized at this church in elementary school. The biggest things about Tony’s life were education and church. He was either in school: studying, in class, getting a higher education – or in church: volunteering, serving, teaching, and more.

Tony and Vernette joined Emmanuel Baptist Church (EBC) in 1993. He served in a plethora of roles while at EBC, including: Deacon, Sunday School Teacher (Deeper in the Word Ministries), Vacation Bible School Teacher, Operation Share, Decision Counseling, Treasurer, and Assistant Treasurer. One can say he did everything but sing at the church. All in all, Tony was involved with EBC in these roles for about 29 years. His favorite verse grew to be 2 Corinthians 5:17, and he lived his life sharing the wisdom he learned.

Legacy

Tony loved everyone, and while he may not have been a man of many words, he was a man of many actions. Those that know him knew how quiet and serious he could be. He wasn’t one to come into a room and make sure everyone knows he’s there. He’d come in and handle his business, was focused, and his quality of work would rub off on you.

Tony was family oriented. He never had any qualms with family members or friends. He got along with everyone and was loved by all. Tony was always patient raising his two sons – providing them with wisdom that will last a lifetime. When he spoke, you knew he meant everything he said, so you paid close attention. He was purposeful and organized in everything he did; everything he did in life had a reason, and if it didn’t, he would create the reason.

Tony leaves behind a legacy, and while his time on Earth was brief, he lived a fruitful life that has not only influenced his family, but also numerous people around him. Tony was a patient, selfless, compassionate, even-tempered, and humble human being. Even he may not have known just how magnificent of a person he was.

Tony is survived by his wife, Vernette, his two sons Austin and Christian, his siblings: Sherrel Smith (Tony), Willie Drake (Denise), Terrel Drake (Marjorie), Gerrel Nellum, and Gwen Williams, along with his God-daughter Dwanna Williams. He is also survived by a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles.