Sara Griselda Draper

Sara Draper was born December 10, 1958 to Manuel and Maria Balladares in the city of Guayaquil, Ecuador. The third of four daughters in the Balladares family, she was preceded by her older twin sisters, Maria and Zoila, and her younger sister, Diana, followed Sara. It was here in Ecuador where the strong family values were instilled in the Balladares girls under the loving and hardworking guidance of Manuel and Maria.

In 1971, Sara along with her sisters and mother immigrated to the United States where their father had been working to establish a place to call home. They settled in Tustin, California where Sara graduated from Tustin High School and continued her education at Saddleback Community College where she met her future husband, Dirk Draper. After finally graduating from Cal State Fullerton with a degree in Biology, Sara married the love of her life in the Catholic church on December 26th, 1983. She then went on to accompany her husband to Virginia where his training as a Marine Corps Officer began. Soon enough, in 1984 they found themselves living in Oceanside, California where they lived for the remainder of her life. There, Sara and Dirk had two daughters, Julie and Victoria Draper, who became Sara’s pride and joys. While living in Oceanside, she worked for the City of Oceanside’s Water Department as a laboratory technician and later returned to working retail at Macy’s where she enjoyed interacting with coworkers and customers.

In her free time, Sara enjoyed spending time with her family whether it be a trip by the beach or a vacation to a beautiful destination. She never shied away from adventure and always longed to travel with her family.

In October 2017, Sara was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. Despite facing this challenge with an optimistic mind and hopeful spirit, she succumbed to the disease and passed away in the peaceful presence of her husband, two daughters, and younger sister on April 14th, 2018. Her loving and adventurous spirit will truly be missed. She is survived by her husband of 35 years, Dirk, and her daughters, Julie and Victoria. She also leaves behind her three sisters, Maria, Zoila, and Diana, and mother, Maria.