John Kenneth Drake

John Kenneth Drake, 83, of Upper Arlington, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Friday, February 18, 2022. He was born in Terre Haute, Indiana on November 26, 1938 to Loren and Geraldine (Harkness) Drake. John earned an undergraduate degree in business from Indiana University and went on to earn advanced business degrees from the University of Cincinnati and Stanford University. He worked at Kroger, Borden, and Ashland Chemical in their logistical transportation operations prior to creating his own transportation and logistics company. John had many passions in life including his family. He never failed to show up to all sporting events and coached many youth teams. He was a captivating storyteller and the impact, lasting lessons and memories he instilled in his kids and grandkids will forever be cherished. He also loved serving the impoverished communities of Southern Ohio, driving his pickup truck full of food and clothes for the people in need. He had a goal of delivering 1 ton of food there and surpassed that goal. He loved nature, was a Master Gardener and spent as much time as he could at his farm tending to fruits and vegetables as well as his beloved horses. He was an active member and previous Board President of Our Lady of Victory Church. He was named Volunteer of the Year in 2019, and for many years helped organize their annual festival. He was also a member of the Knights of Columbus. John Drake will forever be remembered for his charitable heart which extended to everyone he met as well as his amazing work ethic which he instilled in his kids and grandkids and his love for the Indiana Hoosiers.

John was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Sandy; brother, Gerald; and two grandsons, Mark and Ryan Drake. John is survived by his wife of more than 63 years, Marjorie; sons, Andrew (Jeanne) Drake and Col. Jeff (Jean) Drake; daughters, Christine (Brian) Bichsel and Amy (John) Masters; brothers, Tim Drake, Dr. Stan Drake, Dr. Fred (Diane) Drake; sisters, Nina (Bruce) Cagle and Jill Drake; grandchildren, Sean Drake, Leigh Anne Drake, Katie Drake, Kristen (Jacob) Hinton, Kevin (Vanessa) Drake, Jenn (Andrew) Frashier, Dan (Christlin) Bichsel, Tom Bichsel, Jack Bichsel, Jake Carriero, and Anna Carriero; great grandsons, Shepherd Hinton, Sullivan Hinton, and Schwartz Hinton.

Visitation will be from 1-3 p.m. Sunday, February 27, 2022, at SCHOEDINGER NORTHWEST, 1740 Zollinger Road, Columbus, Ohio. Mass of Christian burial will be 10:30 a.m. on Monday, February 28, 2022, at Our Lady of Victory, 1559 Roxbury Rd Columbus, Ohio, immediately followed by a burial at Union Cemetery, 3349 Olentangy River Rd, Columbus, Ohio.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the St. Francis Center, 404 West South St., McArthur, Ohio, 45651.