A Tribute to Tom Drake

(A Tribute to Tom Drake By Rotarian Peter Yeates)

When I sat down to write this tribute, it occurred to me that I could probably write a thousand words about our friend Tom, who was the Father of our Club and a great Rotarian and Humanitarian.  He will be missed so very much by all of us.

Tom moved to Ewell 1975 and joined the Rotary Club of Ewell in 1977. He was the longest standing member of our club, having served over 48 years.  He was our President twice in 1997/1998 and 2004/2005. He was so proud to be a Rotarian. He had charisma, personality and humour, which lead him to many achievements in his lifetime.

Such was his service to Rotary, and to the local community, that in 2004 our Club awarded him with a Paul Harris fellowship, which is the highest award that a club can bestow on a member.

In 2007 he became a Founder and Life Member of WASRAG (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Rotarian Group)

Eventually his passion became ‘Wateraid’ and he, supported by Primrose, travelled all over the country raising funds for this Charity. Indeed, he and Primrose travelled to Mali at their own expense to see this charity in action and how it helped the local population.

In 2012 Tom and Primrose were awarded ‘HRH Prince of Wales award for outstanding Voluntary Service’.

In due course, in 2014 Tom, received his greatest honour of all, an MBE in the Queens New Years Honours list for ‘Services to Charity and to the community of Epsom & Ewell’.

On the amusing side, in 2013, he was a Founder Member of the NERDS – the New Ewell Rotary Dramatic Society’.     Our club members formed a small drama group, and we put on a few (‘just a few’) performances. YES, that is Tom in the purple and green dress below.

Tom and Primrose also fully supported the exchange visits with our contact club in France – the Rotary Club of Condé St. Amand. and here we see Tom with another wonderful Rotarian, Michel Albert of the French club.   Such was Tom’s support for our business and exchanges with the French Contact Club that he was made an Honorary Member of the Rotary Club of Condé St. Amand in 2009.

When Tom was no longer able to come along to club meetings President Peter Heard and others visited him at home and ‘inducted’ him as an Honorary member of the Rotary Club of Ewell. He was ‘over the moon’ and greatly cherished the engraved glass goblet that was presented to him.