Final farewell for WBOC owner Tom Draper

Stories of a driven businessman who kept copious notes on yellow legal pads yet who was dedicated to his family and helping others filled the sanctuary of Crossroad Community Church near Georgetown Sept. 15 as people said farewell to Tom Draper.

Johnny Hopkins, vice president of Loblolly LLC, Draper’s farm and real estate business, said he had the pleasure of working with him for 15 years. Hopkins described Draper as a type A businessman with a soft side. Draper always had a yellow legal pad close by to jot down his thoughts and plans.

“I still can’t understand when he found the time to sit still and read a book,” Hopkins said.

Their working relationship turned into a fast friendship. The two were so comfortable with each other that on a shopping trip for tile, a saleslady mistook their relationship. “She thought we were a couple,” he said to gales of laughter among the crowd of more than 300.

Hopkins’ description of Draper’s business style also drew smiles. “He taught me the art of negotiation,” he said, and with a horizontal swipe of his hand he demonstrated Draper’s characteristic hand gesture followed by something Draper would say: “Read it, believe it, move on.”

“I joked with him many times that he paid me to be patient for him,” Hopkins said.

He choked up when he spoke about how much Draper did for him.

“Thank you Mr. Draper. I love you, and I will see you again,” he said.

Son-in-law and Cape Region businessman Sam Calagione remembered Draper as someone driven to achieve the highest quality of function. “This man never lagged in zeal,” he said.

Calagione, too, remembered stacks of yellow legal pads filled with Draper’s thoughts.

“The vast majority were actual ideas about how he could help the people he loved,” he said.

Former Supreme Court Justice Randy Holland spoke about his lifelong friendship with Draper. The two Milford boys grew into adults and shared a working relationship as young men when Draper bought WBOC and used Holland as his attorney. Holland described Draper as a benevolent boss from the beginning.

“He picked up employee benefits even if he didn’t have to, but because it was the right thing,” he said.

Draper’s larger-than-life personality was shared in a story Holland told about the first time Draper met the predominantly Irish family of his partner, Francesca Curtin. As Draper mingled with relatives, Holland said, he talked about how he is a direct descendant of Oliver Cromwell, an Englishman who became Lord Protector of Ireland and Scotland, and who was also hated by many Irish and Scots. But nobody that day held Draper’s Cromwell connection against him, Holland said.

“Only Tom could make the Irish love the English,” he said. “Each of us is better for knowing Tom … Tom is going to be enshrined in our hearts’ hall of fame forever.”

Hank Draper, speaking on behalf of siblings Mariah Draper Calagione, Molly Draper Russell and Bill Draper, said all of them learned about business and life from their father. “He was without a doubt our leader,” he said.

Although there were plenty of happy memories shared by those who loved Draper, and the sanctuary was filled with joyful gospel music that he loved, the sadness of losing their father too soon at age 76 while he biked along his neighborhood route was evident.

“We are still in a world of pain and ask that you continue praying for our family,” Hank said.

So with the WBOC helicopter hovering in the sky and a funeral procession led by Delaware State Police, friends and family said goodbye to the man who made his mark on the community he loved.

Editor’s note: The headline has been changed to reflect Draper’s ownership of WBOC