James Stewart "Jim" Drake

October 10, 1933 - September 28, 2019

Residence: Atherton, California

In school you might remember Jim as Jimmy Tiddy.  After Paly graduation, Class of 1951, the family took on another family name...that of Drake.  

James Stewart Drake James "Jim" Stewart Drake of Atherton, California, passed away on September 28, 2019, two weeks before his 86th birthday.

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 he made a complete recovery. He subsequently grew up in Palo Alto and graduated from Palo Alto High School in 1951 and never moved out of the Bay Area.. Jim was a businessman who at one point owned the Drake and Knapp Paint Store in Menlo Park, although he 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 fan of the San Francisco 49'ers and San Francisco Giants. He played baseball growing up. As a young adult and later on in life he 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.

Jim was preceeded in death by his beloved wife, Mary Ann Knapp Drake. He 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.