In Memoriam Ruth Ann Drake

On Thursday last four couples from the Flagship Detroit family gathered in Murray, KY in support of our brother, Lewis Drake, who had lost his beloved wife, Ann. Also in attendance was a group of five from Houma, Louisiana representing a company Lewis had flown with there. Many of the group had not met Ann, but they knew the kind of person Lewis is and how much love he had for Ann and she for him.
Lewis came to the Flagship Foundation when he happened to land his plane in Shelbyville, TN to refuel when the Flagship was there. He found out about it, talked to George, flew home to Murray to get his check book and flew back to join as a pilot member. And what a member he became! Being mechanically gifted, he could often be found with head and shoulders stuck up in the underside of one part or another of the plane. I personally witnessed him working one day in Ft. Worth in a hanger where the temperature outside was 108 and inside much higher.
I was fortunate enough to have met Ann and stayed at their home a few times. She was a petite blond dynamo who managed two businesses, planted, tended and put up the produce from a large garden and mothered an assortment of grandchildren and their friends who passed through their home. She kept the home fires burning so that Lewis could be free to pursue his love of flying. She was a do-er and a giver and the crowds at the visitation and the memorial service were a testament to how much she and Lewis meant to the community. Her light was extinguished all too soon.
While this was not a happy time to see Lewis again, it was a comfort to all of us to see him surrounded by his large and loving family and a host of friends. We hope to have him back flying with us soon.