Amanda Louise Drake

Amanda Louise Drake was born on Jan 12, 1987 in Brunswick, Georgia to parents Amy and Russ Drake. She moved around a lot growing up, but landed in Carlisle in high school where she spent the rest of her life in the area. Amanda attended Shippensburg University for her undergrad, first in Chemistry where she became a published chemist, before switching to Business Administration for her undergrad and post grad to earn an MBA. She was employed at the Navy Base in Mechanicsburg for over 14 years.

Amanda was a voracious reader, and one of her favorite authors was J.R.R. Tolkien. She was the Editor-in-Chief for The Tolkien Society's Bulletin, Amon Hen, fulfilling one of her life's dream to be involved with Tolkien's legacy and leaving a lasting mark. Amanda was also a watercolor artist and she loved painting fantastical art of far off lands.

Amanda absolutely loved to garden and took great joy in the floral and vegetables she grew with her husband. She loved animals and her cat Esme who had been a large part of her life but passed last March. Most of all she had an unbridled love for books and was an advocate for libraries and accessibility of books. In 2024/2025 she read over 500 books, an accomplishment she was so proud of. Even if her body wouldn't let her leave the house, she could still go on so many fun adventures.

She is survived by her husband Calvin, her parents Russ and Amy, her brother Nicholas, her grandmother Sharon, her nephew Liam, and her niece Savanna.

Instead of flowers, she would love if you donate and support your local library, or you can make a donation to the Tolkien Society at https://www.tolkiensociety.org/.