Aaron W. Drake

Aaron was born on July 16, 1982 at Ravenswood Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. His Mom was Michelle Richard. Aaron was raised in Chicago and Des Plaines, Illinois. Even as a child, Aaron had the ability to lift the spirits of all those around him. He was raised to be warm, caring and friendly. He couldn’t help but capture everyone’s attention. To everyone around him, he seemed to be eternally happy, and he willingly shared that joy with anyone whose life he touched. For Aaron, bringing out the best in any situation was as easy as offering a smile or the twinkle of an eye. And with just those simple gestures, he could evoke the most pleasant of emotions.      Aaron was easygoing and fun loving. He managed to lighten the mood wherever he was. He seemed to have a knack for bringing compromise and erasing tense situations around the house. Aaron was raised with three siblings. He had an older sister Colleen and two younger brothers, Brian and Daniel. As a family they enjoyed road trips and camping together.      All of Aaron's playful good humor carried over into his childhood. He was possessed with an outgoing personality. He liked the outdoors, basketball, blowing bubbles, long walks, going camping, swimming and playing catch. He participated in Special Olympics, special education and activities. He won an award for taking first place in a wheel chair race. Aaron's most memorable achievement, never giving up.      Aaron enjoyed others’ laughter and the sounds of his friends and acquaintances having a good time. He enjoyed hands-on learning. Aaron graduated from Malloy - Special Ed in 2003. He was also prom king.       Aaron's best friends were always his cousins, Christina, Jennifer, Tony, Tori, Danny, Gloria, Jeremy and little Joey. Aaron loved sharing life and having his home filled with people he knew.      Aaron felt excited and challenged by sports. Aaron loved to participate and thoroughly enjoyed the competition and the pleasure of being around other people. In high school, Aaron played basketball. Aaron was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were the NBA and the NFL.      Aaron was a lover of animals and cherished his pets, enjoying them almost as much as he enjoyed being around other people. Two of Aaron's favorites were Sam and LuLu, the family dogs saved from the pound.       Aaron passed away on January 6, 2010 at home. He is survived by his mom Michelle Richard, sister Colleen Richard, brothers Daniel Drake and Brian (Chelsey) Drake and niece and nephew, Ashley and Haden Loose. Services were held at Oehler Funeral Home.      Aaron brought joy to all of those around him. He never had a mean bone in his body. He loved to have a good time and was an eternal optimist, always looking on the bright side of things. He loved to share his energy, wit, and his zest for all of his activities with his friends and family. Aaron W. Drake lived life to its fullest and made everyone around him happier just for knowing him. He will be remembered with a smile.