Jerry Drake

There was no one who met Jerry Drake and wasn’t incredibly blessed. He was warm, engaging, and approachable with a sparkle that just made you want to know him. Jerry had his limitations, but he fully embraced each and every day he was given while taking everything in stride. He was a hardworking man who loved the heartbeat of the community he called home and lived to brighten the days of all who were near with the flowers he pruned, arranged, and carried as the “Flower Man”. When Jerry loved, he loved with all his heart, and he was a stranger to none and a friend to all. Although he will be deeply missed, the impact he made in the lives of numerous people will never fade away.

The 1960s were a time decade filled with numerous noteworthy events. This was the decade when we elected the young John F. Kennedy as our 35th President of the United States only to mourn his death just a short time later. Dr. Martin Luther King brought civil rights to the forefront, and it was our nation that was victorious in the space race with the Soviet Union when we put the first man on the moon. Amidst this eventful time was the year 1962 when Roy and Anna (Stedronskey) were blessed with the birth of the baby boy they named Jerry Robert on February 11, 1962. Born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, he was joined in his family by his sister, Sharon. Since Jerry was born with a mental disability, his mother was able to focus her time and attention on caring for him. He attended school at both Lincoln and Ken O Sha until he was 26 years old. Sadly, Jerry’s mother died on December 6, 1986, after an infection set in following stomach surgery.

After his mother's death, Jerry lived with Russell and Jacquelyn DeRoos, who were friends of his mother, beginning in 1986 until 2007. Jerry moved one final time, in 2007, after being hospitalized with diabetes when Debbie and Lyle Myers, along with their daughters, Julie and Jill, welcomed him into their family with open arms. They initially thought Jerry’s stay with them would be short, but he ended up blessing their lives for seven years until his death.

Jerry loved celebrating, and he spent all holidays with his adopted families. He especially loved Christmas. In fact, in the early nineties he walked to see his father at work near Three Mile and Alpine Avenue. What a sight he was as he was pulling three Christmas trees with a rope since he really wanted to get these trees to families who needed them. Jerry also really liked having lights out in the yard to enjoy, and he loved bright colors the most.

It was in 1990 that Jerry came to be known as the “Flower Man” when he started helping out at Cleveland Plant and Floral in exchange for flowers he could sell. He took great care in arranging his flowers as he did so according to color and carefully bundled them together after cutting each stem to just the right size before wrapping. Jerry was always smiling as he walked up and down the streets of Grand Rapids, often on the West Side. At times you could find Jerry selling flowers on the busy sidewalks of downtown. He walked miles every day as he visited local businesses, restaurants, bars, and halls, leaving the house at ten and returning home at four for dinner. Jerry never haggled on his prices either as he was a firm believer in the notion that if you don’t like it, don’t buy it. Around the holidays he was often driven around to the bars to sell flowers, and he always came out with food - at times the trunk was completely filled with everything he was given! He especially enjoyed selling his flowers for both Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. Jerry knew many of his customers by name, and several them became friends. Not once throughout his time of selling flowers from the early nineties until 2014 did he find any trouble or get robbed.

Since he often walked with his head down due to tight neck muscles, Jerry found all kinds of treasures along the sidewalk. His best find was a $20 bill, but he also found someone’s paycheck and even a diamond ring. On one occasion he found some used lottery tickets in a dumpster outside of Walker Street Pharmacy. Jerry was elated to discover that they were winners, but when Lyle tried to redeem them they found out that the tickets had already been redeemed. This caused quite a stir, but once they found out Jerry was behind the tickets, all was forgiven.

In addition to selling his flowers, Jerry cherished so many other things. He loved fishing, but only off the dock, not in a boat, especially on Reed’s Lake. Jerry would have loved to fish from sun up to sun down, to the point of not even caring about eating, which was also something he loved. Fishing trips were something he looked forward to, and over the years he fished on Brooks Lake, Jordan Lake, and in Millennium Park. Jerry asked what was for dinner every day, even though it never really mattered to him, and among his favorite foods were barbecue ribs and chicken, fish, and coleslaw. On Sunday he eagerly waited for the papers since he enjoyed finding coupons and looking for great deals. When he found the deals, Jerry wanted to really stock up with as many as 25 of something! He enjoyed his CB radios during his younger years, and he collected every type of cell phone. Jerry loved playing old DVDs of shows like Gunsmoke, The Three Stooges, and I Love Lucy.

A man who brought such joy to others, Jerry Drake was such a gift to everyone he met. He was fun-loving, genuine, and friendly with a contagious zest for life. Jerry will be deeply missed in the community he loved, but he will never be forgotten.

Jerry Robert Drake, age 52, of Grand Rapids, passed away among his loved ones on Wednesday, December 10, 2014. He will be lovingly remembered by Debbie and Lyle Myers with whom Jerry lived during the last seven years of his wonderful life. He spent his last days hoping to recover from a serious ailment in the care of the Myers, their daughters Jill and Julie.

Jerry was preceded in death by his parents Anna and Roy Drake and by Jacquelyn DeRoos with whom he lived since he was 24 years of age. He is survived by Russell DeRoos; the Raap and Myers families which became his own, his sister Sharon Drake and his niece and a nephew.

Jerry, known to the community of Grand Rapids as the "Flower Man", collaborated with Cleveland Plant and Floral who provided his flowers for many years. He walked the streets with his buckets of flowers and always had the time to engage in conversation with many whom he knew by name. He lived and loved his flowers, carefully bundled them to sell, give away and sometimes traded for meals while on the go. He made lots of dear friends who will miss his frequent visits.

The Myers family is greatly appreciative for the kind support from the Grand Rapids community.

A time of gathering of friends to remember Jerry's life will be held on Monday December 22nd, at Fifth Street Hall - 702 Fifth Street NW from 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM, with a time of sharing at 6 PM. Contributions to help cover medical/funeral expenses may be made to Jerry Drake Fund c/o Fifth Third Bank, Alpine Ave NW.