William "Bill" M. Drake Jr.'s Obituary
William “Bill” Merritt Drake Jr., age 73, passed away in Muskegon on March 20, 2022. Bill was born on February 17, 1949, in Grand Haven, MI, to his parents William and Elaine (Ernst) Drake. He married the former Donna Bramer on August 7, 1970, and they spent 52 wonderful years together. Bill was a proud Vietnam Veteran who loved his country. After returning from the service, he worked for many years as a draftsman for various local companies. Bill loved riding his motorcycle, eating sweets, and reading westerns, but most of all he loved spending time with his grandchildren. Bill will be lovingly remembered by his wife, Donna Drake; two daughters: Nicole (Robbie) Lucas and Candi (Dean) Zambelli; six grandchildren: Derek, Alexandra (Caleb), Jaiden, Maddie, Zachery, and Mollie; five siblings: Mary Evans, Carol Hall, Tom Drake, Doug Drake, and Sheila Drake; special family members Clint and Ruth Gonnason; and special friends from the Netherlands, Loes, Willem, and Willem Jr. Hogendorp. Bill was preceded in death by his parents. A FUNERAL SERVICE for Bill will be taking place on Thursday, March 24 at 10:00 AM at The Lee Chapel of Sytsema Funeral & Cremation Services (6291 Harvey St., Norton Shores, MI, 49444). VISITATION will be taking place on Wednesday, March 23 from 5:00-7:00 PM, as well as an hour prior to the funeral on Thursday. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made out to The Wounded Warrior Project. Please sign the family’s online guestbook at sytsemafh.com.
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