Barbara May Drake
Barbara May Drake passed away peacefully in her home and embraced by her family on June 4, 2020. She leaves behind her beloved husband of 44 years, Robert; son, Brian; her daughter-in-law, Beckha; and two loving grandchildren. Born and raised in Bellevue, Michigan, Barbara passionately pursued multiple business ventures, equal rights for women, and anti-gerrymandering legislation. Most recently, she volunteered her time and energy to her son’s non-profit, the Defense Intelligence Memorial Foundation, which provides scholarships to the children of defense intelligence officers killed in the line of duty. She brought excellence and an infectious passion to everything she pursued. Her first career out of high school was working as a civilian in the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command. Aside from the numerous professional accolades she received, she earned the Navy’s first Woman of the Month Award for her outstanding performance in acquisition and logistics. She left the Navy in 1977 to raise a family and grow her cosmetics business with Mary Kay. She was a Mary Kay consultant for over 40 years and earned numerous awards in recognition of her business achievements. She was the Salutatorian of Community High School and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Trinity College in Washington, D.C.