William Blauvelt Drake

Dr. William Blauvelt Drake, 86, of Elbridge, NY, passed away on Thursday, January 16th, 2020 at the Francis House in Syracuse, NY in the presence of his loving family.

Dr. Drake was born to the late Marshall and Elizabeth Drake on June 29th, 1933 in Ithaca, NY.  He received a B.S from Cornell University, then proudly served his country as a pilot in the United States Air Force as a Captain.  Following his military service, he went on to earn a  Doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania followed by a M.S at Temple University.  He practiced Orthodontics with multiple offices throughout the greater Syracuse, NY area.  He took pride in being a small business owner and was adored by his patients and staff.   Affectionately known as “Wild Bill”, he enjoyed fishing, hunting, traveling, and working on his beloved farm.  He was an avid collector of vintage war vehicles and memorabilia and enjoyed showcasing them in the local holiday parades. He regularly kept in touch with his Cornell classmates - attending reunions nearly every year. He loved to tell stories of his childhood, college friends, flying numerous aircraft in the military, and vast travels around the world. 

His stories and life will forever live on by his cherished wife of 38 years, Cheryl; brothers Robert (Joan) Drake, of Tucson, AZ and Richard (Dianne) Drake of Scottsdale, AZ; children Casey (Liza) Drake, of Phoenix, AZ, Kelly Drake of Charleston, SC; Kari (Jon) Anderson of Suwanee, GA; Shendal Drake of Phoenix, NY, Kylie Allen of Alexandria, VA; Finlay (Samantha) Drake of San Diego, CA; and grandchildren Kristin, Kevin, Elisa, Braelin and Lily. 

Calling hours will be held at the Elbridge Community Church (brick church) at 109 E. Main Street on Monday January 20th from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM with

 a remembrance at close of hours.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to Francis House, 108 Michaels Ave. Syracuse, NY 13208 and/or Hospice of Central New York, 990 Seventh North St. Liverpool, NY 13088.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of William Blauvelt Drake, please visit our floral store.