Dr. John James Drea Jr.

Jack had a wonderful life – he was an accomplished, generous, fun-loving, all-round amazing man. Born in New London, Connecticut, as the only child of Ruth Christine and John James Drea, Jack was proud of his Irish heritage. His father served in the U.S. Navy, so the family moved from port to port. Jack grew up mainly in Boston, Panama, and San Diego. Exploring the jungles of Panama had a great impact on his life. He knew at the age of five that he wanted to study insects, and catch ‘the good bugs that ate the bad bugs.’

In pursuit of that dream, Jack graduated from Boston College, with a Bachelor of Science, and from UC Berkeley with a Ph.D. in Entomology, then immediately went to work for the USDA, Foreign Agricultural Research Service. After a stint in Afghanistan and Iraq, he met his beautiful Hungarian bride, Leyla, in Tehran, Iran. His son Peter was born there in 1958. The family (with in-laws) then moved to Morocco, where daughters Kathy and Christine were born, in 1959 and 1961, respectively. Jack and family then transferred to Paris, France, for two and half years, to Cinnaminson, NJ, for four years, back to Paris for 11 years, and then to Beltsville, MD, where he remained until retirement in 1991. During his career, Jack visited and/or worked in 64 different countries – a facet of his life that he dearly cherished.

Jack retired in Oceanside, CA, after 35 years of dedicated service. With the ‘love of his life’ by his side, he lived his retirement years to the fullest: He continued to travel the world with Leyla, often on cruises, and enjoyed time in California with his three grandchildren, Colin, Nicholas, and Stephanie, as well as his loyal dog companions. Jack is survived by Leyla, his adoring wife of 61 years, his son Peter and family (Colin and Julie), his daughter Kathy and family (Rob, Nick, and Steph), his daughter Christine, and his furry friend Katie. We will all miss him more than words can say.

In lieu of flowers, please feel free to donate in his memory to the charity of your choice.