Richard Drohan

Richard Drohan NORFOLK - Richard Drohan passed away Oct. 23, 2008. Born in Gloucester, Mass., Aug. 23, 1925, he was a child of the Great Depression. He served his country in World War II and in the Korean and Vietnam wars during his 32 years of service in the U.S. Navy. Drohan served on the USS Independence during the Cuban missile crisis. He retired from the Navy as a chief petty officer. Drohan attended the dedication ceremony for the World War II Memorial, where strangers shook his hand, thanked him for his service and enjoyed his stories. Drohan was a past president of American Legion Post 60 in Norfolk and a member of the Norfolk Yacht Club. He and his wife Esther took several trips on the Intercoastal Waterway on their trawler the Lady Esther. After he retired from the Navy, he designed and built custom cabinets. Drohan is survived by six children, Pat Machowsky of Falls Church, Cassie Mockenhaupt of Suffolk, Debbie MacDonald and Betty Herman of Norfolk, Terri Camelio of Greenville, N.C., and Paul Drohan, also of Suffolk. He had 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. A celebration of his life will be held Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. at the home of his daughter, Debbie, 121 Howe St., Norfolk. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers or other gifts of condolence and remembrance, donations be made to the American Lung Association at www.lungusa.org.