Douglas Draper, 92, of St. Louis, formerly of Festus, died Oct. 20, 2021. Mr. Draper grew up during the Depression, the son of Canadian immigrants, and served in the U.S. Navy as a hospital corpsman in San Diego. After retiring from the Navy, he became a lab technician with Adam’s Dairy. He later worked at his parents-in-law’s title company, which set him on the path to co-founding Hillsboro Title Company in 1972. He sold his company in 2001, but continued to work in real estate and was active in the Rotary Club. He enjoyed weightlifting and bodybuilding, but his lifelong passion was sailing. He built his first boat, a Y Flyer, around 1961, and joined the Carlyle Sailing Association in 1971, earning as reputation as a competitive captain. He joined a ski club in the late 90s to stay active during the off-season, and ended up developing an enduring 17-year relationship with fellow club member Marsha Brady. Born June 6, 1929, in St. Louis, he was the son of the late Percy and Nora (Servage) Draper. He was preceded in death by his wife: Adele Draper.
He is survived by three children: Sheree (Mark) Mason, Kelly (Steve Horn) Draper and Wendy (Randy) Harr; three grandchildren: Sara, Matthew and Ian; three great-grandchildren: Andrew, Adele and Clara; and dear companion Marsha Brady.
He was preceded in death by a child: Mark Draper.
Visitation is scheduled from 4-8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 5, at Kutis Funeral Home, 5255 Lemay Ferry Road, in south St. Louis County. Private burial will be in the National Cemetery at Jefferson Barracks. Memorials may be made to Carlyle Youth Sailing School, c/o Ted Beier, 5614 Rosa Ave., St. Louis, 63109. Arrangements are under the direction of Kutis Funeral Home.