County Honors Litchfield Volunteers
Each year the Herkimer County Office for the Aging and Advisory Council recognizes two older adults in the community.
They were recognized at the RSVP dinner in Ilion.
Person of the Year: David and Shirley Drake are recognized as a collective force for good in the community.
David's passing a year ago was a grave loss to the community in Litchfield.
David was born in 1945 and was a lifelong New Yorker.
After other jobs in the trades, he worked at Remington for 20 years.
David served in the Army Reserves for 23 years, working in tank maintenance, as a cook and riot control during the Vietnam years.
His life experience made him the go-to handyman for many older adults in the community.
David refused payment.
He built accessibility ramps, repaired appliances, mowed lawns, plowed driveways for older adults and put a new roof on the Cedar Lake Church.
As a team, David and Shirley volunteered to assist with the Ilion Little Theater; David worked on sets and made repairs at the theater and Shirley sewed costumes.
Shirley and David also coached baseball for 12 years.
For 16 years, David was state director of the North American 40 PLUS Touring Rides.
For 20 more years, he served as the international assistant director and raised funds for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation.
Shirley served as secretary. Shirley and David volunteered for the Senior Club where Shirley was the president.
Shirley and David also volunteered at the West ...
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