Nancy Badt Drake (Mrs. Robert E.)
Dec. 4, 1930 – Nov. 7, 2019
Nancy Badt Drake (age 88) of Fair Haven, NJ, died November 7 at Brandwine Assisted Living in Shrewsbury, NJ. Born in Elko, NV, she resided there, in Carson City, NV, and Palo Alto, CA, before moving to Fair Haven, NJ in 1954 following her marriage to Robert E. Drake of Monmouth Hills, NJ. She graduated from Carson City High School and was a 1952 graduate of Oberlin College in Ohio with a degree in psychology. Before retiring in 1985, Nancy was on the staff of Monmouth Council of Girl Scouts as a Field Advisor and First Aid Instructor for 14 years. Prior to that, she was an executive secretary for the Tuller Foundation, and the Cottrell Oil Company in Red Bank, NJ; and for Stanford University Research Coordination Dept. in Palo Alto, CA. She was a volunteer at Riverview Medical Center for more than 28 years, where she was named Volunteer of the Year in 1996; she served a total of over 13,750 hours, mostly in the Emergency Dept., and was honored with Riverview's "Galaxy Award”. She was a cellist with the Monmouth Symphony, and formerly with the New Jersey State Orchestra; a 69-year member of the P.E.O. Sisterhood, past president of Chapter AH, Colts Neck, and formerly of Chapter H, Carson City, NV; member of the Fair Haven Fields Advisory Committee and contributor to its column in the Fair Haven FOCUS; a Lifetime Member of the Girl Scouts USA, and formerly a Brownie and Junior Troop leader in Fair Haven; a First Aid Badge Counselor for Boy Scout Troop 125, Fair Haven; a First Aid and CPR Instructor for the American Red Cross, with over 2000 hours; charter member and secretary of the Fair Haven Historical Society; Pioneer Descendent Life Member of the Northeastern Nevada Historical Society; member and secretary of the Fair Haven Taxpayers Assn.; member of the Community Advisory Committee of Riverview Campus, Meridian Health System; member of Ship Ahoy Beach Club; member of Writers Ink and of the NJ Poetry Society (many of her poems were published and won prizes, including 2nd place in the Annual Senior Poet Laureate Contest in 2002). Her own book of poetry, "Perilous Poetry", was published in 2002. Other interests included photography, bowling, writing letters to her many friends, and music. She loved not only classical music but also country western, and the music of the Grateful Dead. Above all, as Nancy wrote, “My greatest joy is my family – my cozy home, my wonderful son and daughter, my precious grandchildren.”
Nancy was pre-deceased by her husband of 43 years, Robert E. Drake, who also died of Alzheimer's Disease in 1998. Surviving are her daughter and son-in-law, Robin Drake Fitch and Ken Fitch of Allentown, PA; son and daughter-in-law, John (J.R.) Drake and Kim Drake of Fair Haven; three grandsons, Kevin Fitch, Golden, CO, his twin Brian Fitch, North Conway, NH, and Tyler Fitch, Steamboat Springs, CO; five nieces, Katy Badt Frissora and her husband Tony of Fair Haven, Karin Badt of Paris, Cheryl Weliver (John) of Ft. Myers, FL, Terri Jaench (Guenter) of St. Simons Is., GA, Cindy Brandon, Sanford, FL; two nephews, Steven Badt and his wife Alice Weiss, Tacoma Park, MD, Gary Drake (Vicki), Winchester, VA; great-nephews, Paul and Michael Frissora, Henry Badt, Matthew Galbraith (Kelly) and Douglass Brandon; great-niece, Dahlia Badt; great-great-nephew Drake Galbraith and great-great-niece MacKenna Galbraith.Nancy was also pre-deceased by her parents the Honorable Milton B. Badt, Chief Justice of the Nevada State Supreme Court and Gertrude Nizze Badt, Carson City, NV and Shadow Lake Village, Red Bank, NJ; brother Milton B. Badt, Jr. and wife Lucia; brothers-in-law and wives Elmer and Grace Drake, George and Jane Drake and sister-in-law Lois Drake.
A MEMORIAL GATHERING will be held at John E. Day Funeral Home in Red Bank on Nancy’s 89th birthday, December 4, 2019, from 1-4 PM, with a SERVICE beginning at 2:30 PM. If you wish, contributions may be made to the Monmouth Symphony Orchestra (PO Box 8218, Red Bank, NJ or website), Northeastern Nevada Historical Society (1515 Idaho St., Elko, NV 89801 or website), or Riverview Medical Center Foundation (see website).
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