Stephen Madison Draper

He was born in Martinsville, Va., March 26, 1953, to the late Robert L. Draper, Sr. and Katherine Alexandar Draper. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by aunts, Dorothy Call and Grace Elkins; and uncles, Frank Madison Draper Jr. (Carol) and Charles Alexandar.

He is survived by his wife, Donna Draper; children, Courtney Bennett (Jose Padilla) and Christopher Bennett; grandchild, Antonio Lee Bennett Padilla; and special niece, Skylar Sink. His brother, Bobby L. Draper, Jr. (Sammy); niece, Kelly Draper; cousins, Kenneth Draper (Pam Wright), Cody Draper (Natalie), Sarah Dru Draper, Laura Beth Gruettner (Todd), Katherine Eanes Amato (James), Stacy Eanes Clark (Daniel), Bill Draper (Debra), Robin Humlan (Mark), Nancy Draper Oaks (Joey), Bettie Draper Bowles (Gene), Susan Draper Thompson (Matt), Jerry Draper (Jeannie), Karen Berryman, Ann Powers, Drew Conrad, Jim Call, Susan Call, Charles Harris, Barry Harris, Rick Elkins, Ted Elkins, Chuck Alexandar and Jeffrey Alexandar.

Steve dedicated more than five decades of his life to serving and protecting the Martinsville and Henry County community. His life of service is a legacy that will never be forgotten.

Steve began his long career of community service in the early 1970’s by volunteering with the Martinsville Volunteer Fire Department and the Martinsville Henry County Rescue where he served as a firefighter and an EMS provider. He ultimately served as President of the Fire Company and was a Captain with the rescue squad.

Steve worked as a Deputy Sheriff in the Martinsville City Jail from 1973 to 1977. He resigned from the Sheriff’s Department in 1977 and made an unsuccessful bid for the Sheriff’s position. Following the election he operated the Marathon Gas Station and started a “Wash on Wheels” car cleaning business. From 1980 to 1993, he worked as the Safety, Security and Health Director at Pannill Knitting Company/Sara Lee Corporation. He was elected to city council and served two years from 1992 to 1993.

His time on city council ended in 1993 after he successfully ran for the Office of Martinsville City Sheriff. He took office January 1, 1994, and went on to serve for three decades until his passing, becoming the longest serving Sheriff in the Commonwealth of Virginia and thus receiving the designation of being “Number 1”, which he proudly displayed on his Virginia Sheriff license plate.

Well known for his great sense of humor, if you were to ask Steve, “who was the Number 1 greatest Sheriff of all time?,”, he would, no doubt, say, “Sheriff Buford T. Justice” and he would pronounce it just like Sheriff Justice did. Steve loved a good laugh as much as anyone and he was forever quoting funny punchlines that actor Jackie Gleason made in the Smokey and the Bandit movie.

Sheriff Draper greatly appreciated the continued trust the citizens placed in him, and he never took it for granted. He was forever looking for ways to improve the professionalism of his department. He reached a major milestone in getting his department accredited through the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission. Among the many other professional improvements he made in the office are the motor unit, having department issues uniforms and weapons, radios for each officer, home electronic monitoring, project lifesaver, the jail expansion, addition of the sallyport, paytel and transition to tablets, educational and mental health programs, upgraded security monitoring inside the jail, mental health training for staff, improved medical care in the jail, educational programs and issuing body worn cameras to the deputies

Sheriff Draper, who always looked for ways to make a difference, served as President of the Virginia Sheriff’s Association (VSA) from 2008 to 2009 and was a VSA representative on the Division of Motor Vehicles Mature Drivers Task Force. He was the current chairman of the Piedmont Criminal Justice Training Academy and the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. He was a Gubernatorial appointee to the Governor's Motorcycle Safety Council and the Virginia Division of Motor Vehicle Fraud Commission. He has also served as President of the Virginia Association of Local Elected Constitutional Officers and has served on the Dan River Alcohol Safety Action Policy (ASAP) Board since December 12, 2013.

On the local level, Sheriff Draper worked hard to foster great working relationships with all his coworkers within the city and county governments. He promoted Martinsville and Henry County through his work with the Martinsville Speedway where he served as Director of Operations from 1998 to 2012. He was also instrumental in starting the Martinsville Speedway 500 Club, which he has been in existence for over 30 years. He was also the current director of CPEG and current director of the West Piedmont Business Development Center.

Sheriff Draper was an avid supporter of every annual motorcycle ride set up to help raise needed funds for events such as the Christmas Cheer Toy Runs and Bikers for Babies or for someone needing help with medical bills or other expenses. He has participated in nearly every Jennifer Short memorial ride. He has also provided very valuable assistance to all local funeral homes by helping direct funeral traffic.

To the men and women of the Martinsville Sheriff’s office he was more than just Sheriff. He was a leader, mentor, colleague, and friend. His presence was a constant within the office, and his guidance, character and commitment helped shape the Martinsville Sheriff’s Office into what it is today.

The relationships he built and the lives he touched over more than five decades of service are an enduring part of the legacy he leaves behind.

A visitation will be held from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at Mercy Crossing Church located at 1978 Joseph Martin Highway, Martinsville, VA. A Celebration of Life service will follow and will be officiated by Reverend Dr. Michael Hatfield and Minister Tim Mills.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Martinsville City Sheriff’s Benevolent Fund, P.O. Box 1326, Martinsville, VA 24112.

McKee-Stone Funeral Home, Martinsville, Va. is serving the family. To express condolences online, please visit www.collinsmckeestonemartinsville.com