Robert L. Drake, 84, formerly of Trevett, died peacefully May 9, 2016 in Academy Point in Mystic, Connecticut, following a five-year battle with dementia.

He was born December 7, 1931 in West Hartford, Connecticut, the son of Delmer H. and Eleanor Lux Drake, attended local schools and spent childhood summers in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

He served in the U.S. Army during the 1950s.

He was married to Pamela Knox Ray of West Hartford, Connecticut from July 29, 1956 until her death from breast cancer in 1977. He married Mary Russell Maynard of Noank, Connecticut on April 20, 1985. They lived in Maine until 2015.

The great-grandson of a Gloucester fishing schooner fleet owner, Bob loved sailing. He owned boats since age six, later cruising southern New England waters in a succession of small craft. In 1973, he and his family (wife Pamela and four sons) set sail from Connecticut on their 43-foot ketch, Kismet, for Marathon, Florida and the Bahamas. Bob continued cruising the Caribbean until 1980, then wintered (by land) in the Florida Keys or Georgia until last year.

A jack-of-all trades, woodworker, gardener and home renovator, Bob became a photographer in 1985. His images appeared in the Boothbay Register, Soundings, Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors and other publications. Before going cruising, he had been a mechanical engineer in research, development and quality control. He always tried to “put a little fun into every job to be done.”

In Maine, he enjoyed visits from and following the activities of his four sons and their families, of whom he was extremely proud.

He leaves his widow, Mary of Mystic, Connecticut; four sons, Peter (and wife Amanda) of North Stonington, Connecticut; David (and wife Judi) of Gales Ferry, Connecticut; Chris (and wife Billie Jo) of Noank, Connecticut, and Bruce Drake of Groton, Connecticut; seven grandchildren: Amy, Alyssa, Zachary, Christian, Rilee, and Timothy Drake and Kelsey Drake Capalbo; three step-children (and their spouses); nine step-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held in June at the Cedar Hill Cemetery, Hartford, Connecticut.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a hospice organization or charity of your choice. DiNoto Funeral Home of Mystic, Connecticut, handled the arrangements.