On August 8, 2018, Owen Patrick Drake peacefully passed away at Mackenzie Health Richmond Hill Hospital with his family by his side following a courageous battle with cancer. Beloved husband of Alice, Loving father of Melinda, Grandpa to Suki and Mepps. Loving son of William Patrick Drake (deceased) and Sarah Jane Isaacs (deceased). Loving brother of Thomas (deceased) (Bernice), Frances Brosch (Lothar), Leonard (deceased), Dorothy Hooper (Charles), Joan Blyde (Phil), Marie Slaney (deceased), Clyde (Sheila), Will, Susan Goodes (Cyril), Jessica Broydell (deceased), Verna Caul (Leo), Jeanann Miller (Clyde) and many nieces, nephews, great and great great nieces and nephews. Dear son in-law of Kuo Leong Lew and Jean Lew and brother in-law of Joan Lew, Anne Drake (Perry), Paul Lew (May), Eleanor Armstrong, Allen Lew (Jessica) and many nieces and nephews.
Owen will be sadly missed and fondly remembered by his family and friends.
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A message from your Kiddo, your Daughter,
Although you may have left this earth, your legend still carries on down here. Your heart of gold, your wicked ways, your kindness you shared, but only to the ones you liked. If you liked someone they knew it, if you didn't, they sure as heck better have a head start running, or your mouth was about to go off.
You have taught me so much I would not even know where to begin, first lesson I learned was never let your dad take you for a haircut. At age 5 you really don't have a choice. That year I spent all of kindergarten looking like a little boy with my new haircut, happened to be around school picture day too. Never again did my mother allow my father to take me for a haircut.
You taught me how to love unconditionally, give with all my heart, fight hard, say it how it is, don't hold back. If people aren't going to like ya for the truth then they don't belong in your life. Quite possibly the most kind hearted out spoken man.
All of you standing here today know exactly what I'm talking about, or you wouldn't be in this room right now. Your heart never belonged to you father, you gave it to the world. Everyone was always put before you, always. Any family emergency, any wedding and if anyone needed help with something in life, you flew to them, you went to them, by any means you found a way to get there. You took a bus everyday for 7 months to the hospital to spend days with your brother, before work, after work, on your days off, your heart again was just way too big.
Any friend of mine growing up was always drawn in by you my father, they would come over to see you instead of me. You had this way about you. Now because of that haircut you had given me when I was 5, I befriended a lot of male friends, hence they became all of your friends. You got your little boy or little tomboy you always wanted.
Now he was always an excellent judge of character, he was right about every boyfriend I ever had. But did I listen, well I'm just like him so you know the end of that story.
Now if you first met him, he had a scale of character you sat on. It consisted of 3 levels or stages if you want to call them. Stage 1, right off the bat you’re a punk. After an hour or so, once he's got a feeling about you, you might hear him slip and say, hey laddio. You wouldn't even know you had graduated to the next level.
If he liked you, liked your character, he would let you know you are a man. Final level you have become a man. Now not many people, men in my life, my friends, even family members reached this final level of being called a man. I can name on one hand. He was a big hearted tough ass. He would call ya a man, but it was always his rules, so he could always go back down the ladder and you would be back to being a punk.
Not only where my friends all drawn to him, he lived in the same neighbourhood for over 30 years and the amount of children that look for Uncle Owen every day is unbelievable. He's helped children out in need if they needed a place to stay because they are in a bad situation. He's locked a kid or 2 in an empty cardboard fridge box. He taught the kids in his neighbourhood how to fish on pavement to get them ready for the lake, how to fix things, how to build the best snow forts, he dressed up as Santa at Christmas and Jack the Ripper at Halloween. Every kid knows where to look for candy any day of the week. He was everyone's dad, uncle, brother and best friend.
I was lucky and still am lucky to have a father such as him. I was never left wanting anything. Sneaking me $20's after I had already got allowance, heck he sneaked everyone 20's. Just who he was. You needed something, he would find a way to get it for you, he just met you he like you, you needed the shirt off his back, it was yours. No doubt that my father made sure everyone had everything they needed or wanted.
My father has and will always be a great influence in my life. He taught me the secret trade of Newfie engineering, taught me how to build the biggest campfires, fish, how to hook someone's leg while fishing. First time I can remember fishing with him, Uncle Perry, Kyle, me and dad. Dad caught a big fish that day, ME!! He taught me to be a sweetheart, a tough ass, a joker, and sometimes a trickster and not going to lie, maybe a little bit of a partier. Like Father Like Daughter.
He inspired me to cook and bake, he taught me many little secrets cooking over the years, which have made me a great cook like he was a great chef. Not many children can say they have worked side by side with their father. I was lucky to have been able to work side by side with him for many years, working amongst us was his son, not by blood, but by the love they shared, they spent every day together for years. Danny you where my father's son and don't ever doubt that.
There are so many stories of you, but it would take the 58 years of life you have lived to tell them. I'm sure today as everyone exits the building, stories will be told of you for years to come. You were never a man to forget, when you walked in a room, all eyes on you, you made sure of that. You made an impression on this world and I'm sure your making another one up there. I'm sure there will be many cheers to you this evening and probably a few special smokes. And you will be winking down on us saying have one more, but make sure you’re still clicking.
You were a fighter until the very end, you were a joker still lying in that hospital bed, right until your eyes didn't open anymore. You will be forever in all our hearts, love to the skies to you my father, my buddy, my teacher, forever going to be missed and always loved.
On behalf of my father,
To my sisters, for the past few months you put your life on hold for me. You took care of me. Let me be me, you kept me strong, you kept me entertained, most of all you talked my ears off, like a bunch of clucking hens, but that kept me going. I'd wink to my kid when you weren't looking, I got you girls, and I loved hearing your voices. Your love and the special way you cared for me kept me going. You let me live my life to the fullest, you let me do what I wanted to even when I wasn't able to. You put up with my shit, you carried me, walked with me and one day when it is your time to go I will be talking your ears off all the way to heaven. Most importantly you also helped and took care of one of the most important people in my life, Alice my wife. Without you two here with us, this journey to heaven would not have been the same. Love you! Duke and Jeannie my heart is always with you. I have arranged something for you, I may be gone but I am still thinking of you. My kid will give it to you.
Now to my wife, my best friend, the woman who stood beside me through all the good, all the crazy and put up with me for all this time. My heart stays with you here on earth, as my heart was big, yours was always far bigger than mine. Without you I would have never made it this far in life, I would not have walked the earth as long as I did. I would not have survived this battle as long as I did without you by my side. I hope that you can learn to live without me, but remember I am always there with you, always. You are the solider of the family and I know you will make it. Where do you think I got my strength from, from you my little pitbull. Alice you are the love of my life, my entire life and in the life after life. I've made it to the gates of heaven, remember always I love you! Now our child has something for you from me, to remember me always.
Love you both, keep my heart safe in yours, till we are joined together again I will be dancing the jig up above.
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Good afternoon everyone. My name is Danny Hosking, and I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to say a few words about Owen today. Although I could talk for hours about his personality alone, I would just like to share my personal experience of being his friend.
The last time I came to visit two Thursdays ago, Melinda, Alice, Aunt Verna, Aunt Jeananne and I were joking about Owens “4 stages of friendship” as I like to call it. Well, it was more like me remembering the way I had to work my way through the ranks. First stage, I started as a young punk. Young punks were kids who hung around his daughter pretty much, and no matter what, you knew “nutting”.
Although he said it with a smile on his face, you couldn’t help but sit and listen to what he had to say. Being young and naïve, I took it with a grain of salt, and never thought anything of it. Second stage was lackey. I reached lackey status when Owen got me my first job at the restaurant in 1997. I’ll never forget, I took the Doncaster bus to Yonge and Steeles after school and completely flew by my stop and ended up at Finch station. I got so mad that I walked all the way home and didn’t even bother showing up for the interview. The next day Melinda told me that it was still ok to go back, which resulted in me getting the job, where I started immediately working with Owen as the head chef, and me as the dishwasher. Whenever I was hungry he would sneak me a pop and fries with gravy. For most people it wouldn’t mean much, but for me it meant the world at the time. It made me feel like someone actually cared that I was back there. Although Owen left shortly after, I continued to work at the restaurant for many years hoping he would come back, which he eventually did.
Third stage was the coveted Ladio. A ladio was a young man that he really liked, but still had to show tough love. I sat with Owen many nights in the garage, the backyard, and on the front porch, just talking about life. Arguing back and forth about things that only really seemed relevant at the time. Most times talking way too loud resulting in a stern whisper through the bedroom window from Alice. We would hear SHHHH. We would be quiet for 5 minutes then start to get rowdy again, which would eventually result in a few bangs on the floor and Owen would look over at me and say… “time to shut er down Mr. Daniel”.
Last, but most importantly, we became true friends. We talked about anything and everything. It didn’t matter what the topic was. We would sit in the garage and talk about how he came to Ontario at the age of 15, and got a job at Hillcrest Mall where he met Alice. “the prettiest little thing you’d ever seen” he always said. He also told me many times about how happy and proud he was at the hospital the day Melinda was born. He felt like he was on top of the world. And that feeling lasted for his entire life. His girls were everything to him.
Owen also used to tell me stories of cruising down Yonge Street in his Firebird, with a 350 rocket, “flat out” as he used to say. Blonde ponytail so long he could sit on it, with a pet raccoon on his shoulder. If anyone else told me that I’d say they were full of it. But with Owen, I wouldn’t expect anything less.
He would also go around visiting people’s homes at Christmas time dressed as Santa Claus, getting enjoyment out of the looks on everyone’s face as he walked through the door, especially the children. He would joke saying “I get to go around drinking everybody else’s beer. I love it”. Decorating the house with Alice and Melinda at Halloween was also one of Owens favorite things to do. He looked forward to it all year. “I do it for the kids Mr. Daniel” he would say. “What else is there?” I’m not sure, but I think that’s a pretty good philosophy.
Whether it was two in the afternoon, or two in the morning I was always welcome in the Drakes’ home. Cooking up pots full of crab legs and lobster wasn’t out of the norm at 8 o’clock on a Tuesday night. Seeing how much Mr. Daniel could eat was always entertaining for Owen. Everyone else would be finished and Alice and I would still be sitting at the table sucking out empty shells just talking about everyday things. And no matter how many times she would ask, I would never eat “the green stuff”, to which she would reply, “That’s the best part!” I’m sure that there will be many more crab feasts to come, but they will never feel the same without Owen sitting in his spot on the leather couch egging me on to have just one more leg.
One of my favorite stories that I love to tell about Owen and I, and always got a big crack out of him, is when Melinda and Alice got him a full size pool table for Christmas one year. The girls were out one night and Owen and I, after a trip to the beer store, went downstairs and had our hand at a game of pool. The cues were banging off the walls, and we couldn’t get a shot off. We came up with a great idea! We took all of the cues out to the garage and cut a foot off of the end of every single one thinking that it would just be like a mini pool cue. What we didn’t know is that when you cut up a pool cue, they work just as well as trying to push a wet noodle back through the strainer. We both looked at each other and started laughing uncontrollably, not knowing how we would explain what happened. So I did what any self-respecting man would do, and snuck home before anyone found out.
I can’t remember the first time I met Owen because he has always been a part of my life. Melinda has been my best friend for 30 years, and Alice has been like a second mom to me. The last few months have made me realize more than ever to appreciate and cherish those around you. Life is short and we have to be grateful for every moment we have together. Although Owen is no longer with us physically, he lives on through each and every one of us and will never truly be gone. I am grateful to have been part of his life, and he a part of mine. I learned a lot from him. How everyone deserves a second chance, and no matter what you are doing, do it to the best of your ability. To take care of those in your circle, and to stand up for what you believe in. Owen was the same man, day in and day out. His opinion today was the same as it was yesterday. As he would say, “there’s no flies on him”, meaning he was a solid man with solid opinions. He didn’t tell people things just because that’s what they wanted to hear, he told them the truth whether they liked it or not. Which is something that everyone sees as a good quality in a person, but so little have the courage to possess. As I said before, I could keep on talking for hours about Owen, and the things we had done together, but there wouldn’t be enough time in the day. Again I would like to thank everyone for giving me the opportunity to talk about Owen this afternoon, and tell you guys a little bit about how he helped me become the person I am today.
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