William Hullett Drake, Jr. (Bill), 74, residing in Portland, Oregon passed away on January 17, 2023. He was surrounded by his loving family as he peacefully made his transition.
Bill was born on December 9, 1948 in Bartow, Florida. He is survived by his devoted wife of 55 years, Marie, and their children William Michael Drake and Anne Marie Drake. He has four grandchildren who he loved and adored; Crew, Camille, Christian and Emerson.

Bill spent most of his childhood in Hogansville, Georgia, where he graduated from Hogansville High School. He married his high school sweetheart Marie and then joined the Army, where he served as a Military Police Officer. He was honorably discharged in 1970. During his time in the Army, Bill and Marie lived in Alaska, where they enjoyed many adventures before moving back to Georgia and starting their family together.

If you knew Bill, you knew that a strong work ethic was of extreme importance and a point of pride to him. He spent over 20 years at Milliken in LaGrange, Georgia. During this time he got to experience traveling to Germany for work and many trips to South Carolina, he often took his family and made mini vacations out of his work trips.

During his free time, he enjoyed being outside; hunting, fishing and later teaching himself to play golf. Golf became one of his great passions in life.

In 1994 Bill accepted a position as a Project Manager overseeing projects at the Denver Federal Center and he moved his family to Denver, Colorado. Leaving their hometown was not easy, but this opportunity turned into a beautiful life where he and his family spent the next 20 years.

After retirement, Bill’s children were both residing in Portland, Oregon, so he and Marie decided to move to Portland in order to enjoy more time with family. Bill was able to spend the last eight years of his life bonding with his children and grandchildren.

Bill could never sit still and during retirement he took up a new hobby, playing pickleball. Pickleball became one of his new passions. He loved the game, the friendships and the community it brought together for him. He taught his family to play pickleball and they all enjoyed being on the court with him. Most of his days he bounced around between his home in Sellwood, Eastmoreland Golf Course and PDX Pickleball Club. His favorite mode of transportation during this time was his e-bike, which he loved riding around.

In his last hours, he shared this advice with his grandchildren, “you won’t always win in life, but you can always do your best.” This is how Bill lived his life. He was always pushing himself to do his best and to be his best, all the way to the end.

We extend an invitation to friends and family to join us at Eastmoreland Golf Course for a celebration of Bill’s life. We’ll share our favorite memories about Bill. Please feel free to come with a funny or uplifting story to share if you would like. Snacks and beverages will be served.

Celebration of Life
Bill Drake (December 9, 1949 – January 17, 2023) February 17, 2023
2pm – 5pm
Eastmoreland Golf Course
2425 SE Bybee Blvd
Portland, OR 97202