John Draper
District Chief
Story
John Draper joined the Toronto Fire Department January 23, 1970. John was a dedicated firefighter who rose through the ranks to become Captain in 1989 and District Chief in 1997. His colleagues held John in high regard for his discipline both on and off duty.
John finally retired in 2005 after 35 years with Toronto Fire Services. John chose to devote the same love and commitment he had given to the job, to his family. In his free time John put his carpentry skills to use, he was the man who could "do it all". John took up a lifelong passion for exploring the world with his loving wife Laraine and sailed on over 55 cruises and proud of his prestigious “Zenith” status. Known as Pappa to his grandchildren, he could always be seen at the rink, offering courteous but candid advice to the referees, cheering the loudest in the stands for his “super stars”, and showing up without fail to every hockey game and practice. When not at the rink or on a voyage, John golfed with friends and family as much as possible. He enjoyed taking care of his garden, scrolling through Facebook, and most of all spoiling his grandchildren.
John is missed dearly by everyone who had the honour of meeting him.