Gayle Drake | March 26, 1942 - January 30, 2023
Obituaries-Pierre / Posted Mar 21, 2023 | 6:18 AM / 431 views
Gayle Drake, 80, passed away peacefully on January 30th, 2023.
Her funeral service will be held Saturday, March 25th at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Platte SD at 11am.
Following the service there will be a luncheon and a celebration of her life at the Platte community center.
A private family burial service will be held at a later date.
Gayle was born on March 26th, 1942, to Douglas and LaVerne Walters in Platte. She graduated from Platte in 1960 and was married to Richard “Dick” Johnson the same year. She was blessed with 4 children, Dawn Shay, Sioux Falls, Terry (Katie) Johnson, Pierre, Rick (Lisa) Johnson, Platte, and Cheri (Glenn) Eimers. She moved to Mitchell in 1982 and attended DWU until she graduated in 1986 and began her career in education and administration. She worked for DWU for several years and went on to attain her Master of Education from USD in 1994. In 1987 Gayle married Donald Drake until his passing in 1988.
She had an eye for rare trophies and treasures and spent many summers “rummaging” with her family. Her home was filled with neat knickknacks, but her most prized possessions were the smiling faces of her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren when they’d come to visit, or their display of photos displayed around her home. She perfected her banana nut bread and lemon poppy seed bread recipes and usually had a care package of goodies ready & waiting for visitors. Her warm hugs and radiant smile will be forever cherished and deeply missed.
Those forever cherishing her, and her memory are her 4 children, grandchildren Jory & Stazy Shay, Josh Shay, Jacob & Hailee Johnson, Jackson Johnson, Grace, Ellie, and Addie Johnson, Jazmyn & Austin Soukup, Whitney Hinker, Casandra & Jamison Kleinsasser, Coledon & Brenna Eimers, and Courtney & Shane Thiry, her great grandchildren Zayden Shay, Theodore Johnson, Oaklee, Vincent, and Chrishell Kleinsasser, and Liam Thiry, her brother Ben Walters, and many nieces & nephews. She was received in heaven with open arms by her parents, her brother Bob Walters, her husband Donald Drake, and her granddaughter McKenzie Eimers.
In lieu of flowers please direct memorials to the SD chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s Association | Alzheimer’s Disease & Dementia Help.
