William John "Bill" Drakes

William (Bill) John Drakes - Tampa, FL

Bill, 70, passed away at his residence September 4, 2022. He was born September 17, 1951, in Erie, PA, the son of William E. Drakes and Julia (Pekelnicky) Drakes Gorniak. Bill graduated from North East High School, Class of 1969. His alma maters included Penn State University and the University of Phoenix.  He worked for many years as a phone cable splicer, working outdoors from upstate New York to Florida to Texas to Mexico, before finally moving to indoor work with Verizon in Tampa, FL.

Bill loved the outdoors, and greatly enjoyed hiking, camping, boating, and anything to do with the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico. Bill was a very proficient photographer and was able to capture people and places with a keen eye. He loved inventing new things; he had filed and was awarded patents on various items he invented.

Bill had the most sincere and boisterous laugh that captured the attention of those around him. He loved his family and friends, and the love was returned.  In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his nephew, James (Jimbo) Schwartz.  He is survived by his sisters Mary E. (Drakes) Schwartz, Ruth Ellen Drakes, Julia A. (Drakes) Williams, and his brother James A. Drakes.  He is also survived by nieces Jessica L. Post, Jolie A. Banks, MJ Schwartz, Holly M. Yasui, Samantha A. Greene, and nephews Adam H. Post, Shawn J. Schwartz, James C. Drakes, Dylan J. Drakes, Robert G. Dean, along with several grand nieces and grand nephews. 

The family suggests that in lieu of flowers, donations should be made to the American Cancer Society.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of William John "Bill" Drakes, please visit our floral store.