Douglas Craig Drake

Douglas C. Drake of Lansing, Michigan, passed away August 8, 2025, age 79. He was born July 22, 1946, in Ionia, Michigan, to Richard and Ruth (Dreger) Drake and is survived by his wife of 57 years, Judith Ann (Ucci); their two children Benjamin (Rachel) and Matthew; two grandchildren, Harper and Henry; grand-beagle Kira; and his brother Brian (Gail).

Doug attended St. John's Lutheran School and Ionia High School, where he graduated with honors in 1964. He was a four-year member of the Golf team, a Boy Scout, a member of the National Honor Society, assistant editor of the school paper, and assistant editor of the yearbook.

Doug attended Michigan State University on scholarship and graduated again with Honors in 1968. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Delta Phi Epsilon (International Relations). He stayed at MSU for graduate school, earned an MA in History and finished all but the dissertation towards a Ph.D. in History.

Doug's three decades of public service were dedicated to making Michigan a better place for all its citizens. He often said that his original career plan was to teach 20th Century U.S. History at a small liberal arts college in the Midwest and fool around in politics on the side; however, as so often happens, fortune led him elsewhere - to the State of Michigan Department of Treasury while attending graduate school. His first tasks were assisting in the implementation of the then brand-new state income tax. In 1972, he joined the campaign volunteers of the Jondahl for State Representative campaign and made many life-long friends while helping in that winning effort.

In 1973 he went to work on the Speaker's Staff in the Michigan House of Representatives where he became a tax, budget, economic development and education specialist, and eventually became Assistant Director and then Co-Director of the Staff. Over the years he worked on issues small and large, and especially major reforms in business taxation and education finance.

In 1985 he returned to the Executive Branch as Director of the Office of Revenue and Tax Analysis in the Michigan Department of Management and Budget (now located in Treasury), where he was responsible for coordinating the work on the economic forecasting and revenue estimating that supported the state budget. He later moved to the Budget side of the Department as Director of the Office of Education, where he played a major role in the passage and implementation of Michigan's landmark Proposal A school finance reform.

Over the course of his career, he made many presentations around the State and at national conferences. He served on several local government financial crisis review teams, provided testimony to an Ohio State Senate special committee on Michigan's Proposal A school finance reform, and to the Chicago Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank on Michigan's Single Business Tax, and made many other presentations to groups in Michigan and other states, as well as national groups. He also represented the Speaker of the Michigan House in two White House meetings (West Wing) during the Carter administration.

Doug later served as Assistant Director of Wayne State University's State Policy Center, helming training programs for newly elected state legislators and staff. In this role, he helped lead an analysis of the state economy and fiscal structure, published as "Michigan at the Millennium" in 2003. The study was distributed to every Library in Michigan and to each newly elected State Representative and Senator for several legislative sessions.

Doug actively supported Cub Scouts Pack 121 and Boy Scouts Troop 111. This included 13 years of service with Troop 111 on Mackinac Island (the Lansing area Mackinac Island Honor Troop), first as scullery maid with the kitchen crew and eventually chief cook and menu planner.

He joined the boards of the local Scout District and Council, the Michigan Health Council, chaired the State Employees Retirement System Board, and served as President of the Lansing Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration. A lover of books, he was Board President of Delta Township Library.

With Public Policy Associates, a private consulting company in Lansing, Doug worked with clients around Michigan and around the country, including state government projects in Ohio and Oregon. He then worked for several years as an independent consultant on projects in education and other issues.

In 2012 he ran in the Democratic Primary for State Representative in Eaton County. While he lost, he enjoyed the experience immensely but chose to never do it again.

Although an avid traveler of Europe with his wife Judi, he particularly treasured many years vacationing with his family at his beloved Sleeping Bear Dunes, watching sunsets over Sleeping Bear Bay and South Manitou Island.

Known for his intellect, humor, and kindness, Doug's legacy lives on in a better Michigan.

Doug's family would like to thank Right at Home Grand Ledge, Fairview Assisted Living of Grand Ledge, and Corso Care Hospice for their kind and loving care these last few years. Following his wishes, Doug has been cremated. He will be buried in the Drake family plot in Balcom Cemetery, Ionia, Michigan.

A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, August 16 from 10:00am-12:00pm at Palmer, Bush & Jensen Family Funeral Homes Delta Chapel. If you wish, Charitable Donations may be made to the Wharton Center or WKAR TV or Radio.

The family is being served by Palmer, Bush & Jensen Family Funeral Homes, Delta Chapel.