Frederick Sehring Drake

July 2, 1915 - February 28, 2008

Resident of Redondo Beach

A longtime resident of Southern California, Fred Drake, passed away while trying to recover from an injury. He was 92 when he died.

Fred was born in Marseilles, Illinois. Growing up, his family lived in several towns in the Midwest, but they eventually moved to Manhattan Beach in 1924. He graduated from Redondo High School in 1933, UCLA in 1937, and subsequently obtained a Master's degree from USC. During World War II, he volunteered for service in the Army Air Corps where he served as a major in the VIII Air Force Fighter Command in England, including initial attachment to the Royal Air Force. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his service and separated from the Air Force in 1946 as a lieutenant colonel.

Fred served as an elementary school principal for Manhattan Beach and Los Angeles City Unified School Districts between 1939 and 1974, including ten years at Darby Avenue Elementary School in Northridge, California. During his career and retirement, he was particularly interested in promoting music education for children. He also enjoyed traveling in Europe, meeting people, and studying history.

He is survived by his sons, James of Papillion, Nebraska, and Robert of Martinez, California; his grandson, Matthew of San Francisco; his brother Wilmer of Redondo Beach; and his sister, Betty Jean Saunders of Mission Viejo, California. He was preceded in death by his parents, Eunice and Seth; his wife, Marguerite; and his friend, Doris Bergstrom.

The Memorial Service will be held at White and Day Colonial Mortuary, 901 Torrance Blvd., Redondo Beach, on Saturday, April 5 at 1:00 p.m. Inurnment will be private at Green Hills Memorial Park in Rancho Palos Verdes. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Music Stand Foundation (PO Box 1881, Redondo Beach, CA 90278; www.MusicStandFoundation.org, an organization that supports the teaching of music to school children.