Michael Leo Draham, age 69, of Port Republic passed away on October 10, 2024 at La Casa South assisted living facility. Michael was born in Philadelphia, PA on August 5, 1955. Eldest son of the late Leo Draham, Jr. and Irene Draham; loving husband of Sandra Draham (nee: Morris); dear brother of Annemarie (Mark Thompson) Draham, Linda (John) Denny, and Leo (Rose) Draham III; proud father of Robert Draham. In addition to his wife, son, and siblings, Michael is also survived by four nieces and nephews: Leo (Mark Murray) Draham, Natalie (James Pinola) Draham, Maris (Ben Sudie) Denny, and James “Jay” Draham.
Michael grew up in both Ridley Park and Ardsley, PA where he attended Queen of Peace Elementary School and LaSalle High School. After graduating from Georgetown University with a degree in English, he started working at the Naval Air Development Center in Warminster, PA for defense contractors before becoming a civil servant there. It was while working at NADC that he met his wife, Sandra. They were married on October 8, 1983 at St. John’s United Methodist Church, Ivyland, PA. During that time, he also took night courses at Drexel University to earn both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering. When the group at Warminster moved to the Patuxent River Naval Base, he and his wife moved with their son to Calvert County in 1996.
Michael enjoyed sports (played tennis and participated in crew in high school, participated in NADC Men’s bowling league, and golf), ballroom dancing and skiing (water and snow). He was also a fan of baseball (Phillies), football (college and the Philadelphia Eagles), and men’s college basketball (Georgetown Hoyas). After moving to Calvert, he volunteered wherever he could. Michael was a Den Leader and a Committee Member in the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, respectively. He tutored 3rd Graders at St. Leonard Elementary. At Trinity United Methodist, he taught Sunday School and washed dishes during events. When his son attended Calvert High, he could be found supporting the band and theatre groups. Michael also enjoyed vacationing with his family all along the east coast, with multiple trips to New York City, Washington, D.C., Orlando, FL, Williamsburg, VA, and Lake Lure, NC.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend visitations on Wednesday, October 23rd from 2-4 PM and 6-8 PM or a visitation on Thursday, October 24th starting at 11 AM, followed by a funeral/memorial service at noon. The visitations and service will be held at Trinity United Methodist Church, 90 Church St, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
In lieu of flowers, donations in Michael’s memory can be made to Trinity United Methodist Church, 90 Church Street, Prince Frederick, MD 20678; St. John’s United Methodist Church, 820 Almshouse Road, Ivyland, PA 18974; the National Alliance for Mental Illness, 4301 Wilson Blvd, Ste 300, Arlington, VA 22203 (www.nami.org); or Parkinson’s Research – The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinsons Research (www.michaeljfox.org).
