Past chief of staff at Hoag Hospital dies

Elia Powers

Dr. Donald Drake Jr., a former Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian

chief of staff, who was instrumental in the founding of the Share Our

Selves free medical and dental clinic, died unexpectedly Monday night

of unknown causes. He was 69.

A longtime Costa Mesa resident, Drake volunteered in 1985 to

become the first medical director of the SOS clinic, which now serves

more than 1,000 patients per month.

For the first few years, Drake allowed the clinic to operate under

his medical license.

“That was a big leap of faith,” SOS founder Jean Forbath, said.

“We couldn’t have opened the clinic without him.... He was a

tremendous asset.”

Drake served as a liaison between Hoag and the SOS clinic. He was

a volunteer physician and convinced many of his colleagues who worked

at Hoag to donate their time to the clinic.

Because of Drake’s persistence and connections to Hoag, many of

the clinic’s patients received free care at the Newport Beach

hospital, Forbath said.

Drake also founded Greater Newport Physicians, a medical group

initiated by Hoag doctors that sends many clients to the hospital and

other Orange County institutions.

“If you look back, he was a man of vision, though he’d never admit

it” said Gordon Bowley, a friend of Drake’s for 35 years. “He looked

at managed care before managed care was in vogue.”

Drake, born in Buffalo, N.Y., attended St. Joseph Collegiate

Institute, Georgetown University and the University of Buffalo

Medical School. He served in the U.S. Army from 1966 to 1969.

A practicing urologist, Drake began his Newport Beach private

practice in 1969. He was known to wear a pin on his jacket that read

“Trust me, I’m a doctor.”

“That exemplified his character,” Bowley said. “He was a calming

influence.”

Drake became chief of staff at Hoag in the mid-1970s and stayed active in the Hoag Hospital Foundation 552 Club.

He was a member of numerous organizations, among them the Rotary

Club of Costa Mesa, the Estancia High School Boosters Club and CM900.

Bowley and Drake traveled often to Montana on hunting and fishing

trips.

He was known for his booming voice, friends say, and Drake was

devoted to his family.

“He was a big man in every sense of the word,” said Drake’s son,

John Drake. “We’re going to miss him.”

Drake is survived by his wife of 46 years, Maureen Drake; his

sons, Joe Drake, Donald Drake III, John Drake and Michael Drake; his

daughters, Tracy Bavasi, Susan McNamara, Lisa Riley and Jennifer

Drake; and 17 grandchildren, with an 18th expected to be born today.

A celebration and vigil is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday at

Sts. Simon and Jude Church, 20444 Magnolia Street in Huntington

Beach. A memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Sts. Simon and

Jude.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations be sent to SOS, 1550

Superior Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92627.

* ELIA POWERS is the enterprise and general assignment reporter.

He may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or by e-mail at

elia.powers@latimes.com.