William P. Drake

July 13, 1947 – July 31, 2015

Resident of San Jose, CA

On July 31, 2015 Bill passed away while in the loving presence of his family. He fought a strong and courageous battle against leukemia for just under two years, while never complaining and living his life as he chose. As the amazing man he was, he did not let the disease take control of his happiness and ability to be the best husband, father, brother, and friend a man could be.

He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Sharon Drake, daughters Katie and Kristyn Drake, sister Edwina Skaff (Joseph), niece Suzanne Skaff, and mother-in-law Betty Hamilton. The joy, laughter (sarcasm), and his ability to light up a room will be missed by all who knew him.

Bill was born in Los Angeles, CA July 13, 1947, the son of Edwin and Sue Drake. He graduated from Loyola High School in 1965 and met the love of his life, Sharon, in 1968. They married in 1972 and, at the same time, he graduated from San Jose State University with a Bachelors in graphic design. Two days after they married, Sharon dropped him the entrance of Fort Ord, CA where he began his 6 months of active duty in the Army Reserves, in which he served for the next six years. In 1982 and 1984, the two of them were blessed with two beautiful daughters, whom of which became his life.

Bill spent the majority of his life working as a real estate broker and most recently served as the Manager of Real Estate Assets for the County of Santa Clara for 14 years. Beyond his family, his passions were weekend getaways, spending time in the yard, wine tasting, tending to his orchids, barbecuing and entertaining.

The family invites Bill’s many friends to join them for a celebration of his life. A memorial mass will be held at St. Christopher’s Catholic Church (2278 Booksin Ave, San Jose, CA 95125) at 11am and a reception to immediately follow.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that a donation be made in his memory to one of the following organizations:

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (https://donate.lls.org/lls/donate)

Presentation High School (https://www.presentationhs.org/development/onlinegiving.aspx)

I’d like the memory of me to be a happy one. I’d like to leave an afterglow of smiles when day is done. I’d like to leave an echo whispering softly down the ways, of happy times, and laughing times, and bright and sunny days…