Heartfelt Obituary For Ocean Elections Official, Fought Addiction

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Robert P. Drake Jr. had a laugh that was contagious and a smile that filled the room with light. He was a force who was everyone's favorite friend and charmed everyone's mother.

He was a loyal son and brother. A beloved father and uncle and a dear friend.

He also battled subsance abuse. Drake, who was the principal elections manager for the Ocean County Board of Elections, lost his years-long battle with addiction on Saturday, July 28. He was 37 years old, according to the obituary on the Carmona-Bolen Home for Funerals website.

"If anyone thinks that it can't happen to them, read on," his family said in the obituary.

"He had a thirst for life and experiencing all that it had to offer," they wrote, from rooting for the New York Yankees, Duke Blue Devils, and Miami Hurricanes, to spending time with his children and by the ocean, as evidenced by the many photos of the beach that he shared on Facebook.

Friends remembered him on Facebook as smart and fun to be around.

"You were one of the coolest guys I have ever known," Hafiz Montgomery, a high school friend, wrote. "From joking in school to just always making me or someone laugh. No matter what you had to say he always had a comeback one-liner that got you every time."

Kristen Lia, a childhood friend, said Drake "was a force, the only person I knew who was the favorite in every group of friends he was a part of, which was many!|

"As a kid, he could win over your mom with his endless charm, would play basketball on a Little Tykes hoop with your younger brothers for hours and steal your Uncle Billy’s leather jacket to parade around the house with it," she wrote. "Rob and I hadn’t been a regular part of each other’s lives for a long time but just this month I saw him attend his best friend’s wedding, wish his beautiful daughter a happy birthday and share moments with his baby boy. He seemed to be doing well. My heart aches for his friends and family."

"His addiction began shortly after his high school career with several attempts at overcoming this battle," his family wrote. "The last year, Rob had an experience with the 12 Steps that gave him the happiest time that he has had with his family."

"Rest easy my man, life is the hard part," Montgomery wrote. "God bless your family and kids and we will all make sure the world knows how great of a guy you were."

"His loss reminds all of us that addiction is a daily battle and some of the best people we know are fighting it," Kristien Lia wrote.

Drake had earned an associate's degree from Ocean County College and a bachelor's degree from Stockton State College.

Surviving are his two children, Makayla Marie, and River Cameron; his parents, Robert Sr. and Patricia; his brothers, Ryan Evert and wife, Joelle, and John Evert and wife, Sommer. Also surviving are his nieces Mila and Cassidy; his nephew, Loic, and his partner, Debra Murphy.

Visitation will be 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on at Carmona-Bolen Home For Funerals, 412 Main St. Toms River, NJ 08753.

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Robert P. Drake Jr. photo provided by Carmona-Bolen Home for Funerals and published with permission from the family