She was born in 1918 in Haleyville, Alabama to the late George Wiley Johns and Ola Mae Tidwell Johns. She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband of 62 years, Oscar Pinkney Drake, Jr., her daughter, Matha Drake Adams, and her sister, Wilda Lee Page.
Mrs. Drake attended Haleyville High School, graduating as valedictorian of the class of 1936. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in Speech and Dramatics from Alabama State College for Women, Montevallo, Alabama, in 1940. There she was active in the Speech Chorus, Alabama Players, National Collegiate Players, College Theatre, and was president of Zeta Phi Eta, a national professional youth arts fraternity. She was also on the President’s Council and stayed active in numerous other activities in leadership roles.
After graduating from college, Mrs. Drake was active in the Parent Teacher Association in multiple officer roles, was a local Girl Scout leader, and was also the assistant director of the Alabama Federation of Women’s Clubs. She stayed active in numerous service organizations throughout her time in Alabama.
Mr. and Mrs. Drake moved from Haleyville to Birmingham, Alabama; Denver, Colorado; and St. Louis, Missouri for his job with the Treasury Department, and they retired to Birmingham in 1982. In 2008, after Mr. Drake’s death, she moved to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, to be close to her grandchildren. Mrs. Drake was a lifelong member of the church of Christ.
Mrs. Drake is survived by her grandchildren: Dr. Matha A. Warren (Frank), Dr. Juliette A. Webb (John), and Dr. Charles N. Adams, Jr., and her son-in-law, Dr. C. Nathan Adams. The graveside funeral service and burial will be at Hillcrest Cemetery, Haleyville, Alabama on Saturday, 21 August 2021 at 2:00 pm.
