Obituary of Mrs. Rita May Drake

Drake, Rita May (Marr)

1925 – 2021

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our treasured and beautiful mom, Rita May Drake, on February 18, 2021.

At the age of 95, peacefully and surrounded by the love of her family. Predeceased by her cherished husband, John Drake; her brothers, Earl and Harold Marr; her sister, Phyllis Taylor (Marr); daughter-in law Barbara Zacconi and her granddaughter, Francesca Drake. Survived by her sister, Audry Knapp (Marr).

Rita will be dearly missed and forever in the hearts of her children – James (Janet), June (Anne Marie), Dianne, Gordon (Maureen), Deb, and Marianne (Jamie); and her grandchildren – Alexander, Rachel (Robby), Connor (Rebecca), Evan (Shae), Aidan and Ainsley. She will be fondly remembered by her many nieces and nephews in the Marr and Drake clans.

Rita was born in Cleveland Ohio, the eldest of 5 children, and grew up on a farm in the small town of Elmvale Ontario during the depression era. After finishing high school, Rita moved to the big city of Toronto in the early 40s, following her best and lifelong friend from Elmvale. It was in Toronto where she met John (Jack) Drake in 1947 and they married 6 months later. Jack and Rita had 6 children together and were married for over 51 years, until Jack passed away in 1999.

Rita loved her extended family and dear friends, many genres of music and her Catholic faith, all of which were central roots in her life. Jack and Rita were original parishioners of Holy Spirit Church in the late 50s after they moved to the suburbs of Scarborough. Music was always a backdrop to Rita’s early life on the farm and her family life with Jack. Rita shared her interest in the piano and baritone ukulele with her children, who learned to play instruments of their own. Family jams with the Marr clan were common through the years. She joined the renowned Sweet Adelines International barbershop-style singing organization in 1966 – first as a member of the Scarborough Chorus until 1986, then joining the North Metro Chorus where Rita was an active member until she suffered a stroke in 2010. Rita sang on stage with North Metro when they won 3 of their 5 International Gold Medals, which she wore proudly. In recognition of her dedication and unwavering support, North Metro awarded Rita the status of Distinguished Honorary Member of their chorus in 2014. Singing with the Sweet Adelines was Rita’s hobby for 5 decades – the many friendships, travel and overall experiences she enjoyed as a result provided much happiness and harmony to her life.

God richly blessed Rita with an abundance of gifts, which she selflessly shared with others. The ones that often come to mind when others remember Rita include grace, class, beauty, elegance, compassion, humility, kindness, humour and charisma.

Be at peace, sweet mom – you’ve earned your rest. You were the accomplished cook when we needed nourishment; the gentle voice when we needed consoling; the loving embrace when we needed comfort; the trustful confidant when we needed advice; the witty jokester when we needed levity; the welcoming hostess when we needed celebration; the firm parent when we needed discipline; the proud mother and grandmother when we achieved our goals; our prayerful guardian every single day.

A private funeral mass will be held on February 22, 2021. A Celebration of Rita’s Life will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the charity of your choice.