Frederick Kenneth Draper, Jr.

Frederick Kenneth (Fred) Draper Jr., 96, of La Grange, Kentucky, passed away on Monday, September 29, 2025 in the presence of loved ones.

He was born on October 4, 1928, in Norwood, Massachusetts to the late Frederick, Sr. and Lillie (White) Draper. He is also preceded in death by his siblings, Ada (Young) Thompson, Richard "Dick" Draper, Jack Thurston and William "Billy" Thurston.

Frederick was born in Norfolk County Massachusetts and spent much of his childhood in New Jersey. He attended college in Wisconsin. In 1951 the U.S. Army drafted him, and he served in the Korean War Theater near Pusan. He then did two tours in the Vietnam War, one in 1963 the other in 1970. He retired in 1973 with the rank of Chief Warrant Officer Two where he specialized in cryptographic electronics.

Following his time in the Army, he worked as an engineer for military contractors for a decade, then engaged in owning a truck company that specialized in hauling steel. He was a real estate broker in Florida, where he maintained his licensure for over 35 years, making sure he retook a test every 2 years even though he was no longer actively selling real estate.

He loved to tell you of the life he led with stories of his childhood and of the people he met. One of his favorite stories was from when he was in grammar school and he remembered watching the German Hindenburg pass overhead of the schoolyard. He would tell you that there are 4 famous people from Norfolk County, John F Kennedy, Benjamin Franklin, George H. W. Bush and Fred Draper. He loved to tell people about how he met Zack Mosley on an airfield and had the opportunity to ride in his plane as a child. He was proud of the work he did for the “Smiling Jack” display at Fort Rucker, Alabama.

He was an accomplished Artist with several of his paintings hanging on military bases throughout the country. In 1963 he worked on an 8-foot wall mural “The Golden Rule” at the former Fort Monmouth military installation.

He painted portraits, life experiences, landscapes and more. Many of his paintings were symbolic of his life experiences. He also has paintings hanging in churches across the country.

This soldier turned skilled painter added the flare of color that those around him admired. He was affiliated with organizations such as “Starcom Vietnam”, the “AOPA”, American Legion, and VFW.

Frederick is survived by his loving children, Lori Baumann (Ron), Frederick "Rick" Draper, III, Kimberly Draper, six grandchildren, Joshua Federico, Rachel Chamberlin (Eric), Sarah Baumann, Kyle Baumann, Christopher Draper (Maura), Jennifer Warrick (Brett), twelve great-grandchildren and siblings, Josephine "Joy" True, Sandra "Sandy" Hance and Raymond Draper.

Visitation will be from 2:00 pm until the time of the memorial service at 4:00 pm on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, at Newcomer Cremations, Funerals & Receptions (235 Juneau Drive, Louisville, KY 40243). After the service, all are welcome to join for a celebration of Fred’s life at the Middletown VFW Post 1170, Evergreen Rd, Louisville, KY 40243.

Burial with Military Honors will be on Thursday, October 23, 2025 at 10:30 am at Kentucky Veterans Cemetery Central (KVCC) (2501 N Dixie Blvd, Radcliff, KY 40160). 

The family requests that contributions in Frederick’s memory be made to: Hosparus Health, c/o Development Department, 6200 Dutchmans Lane, Louisville, KY 40205 and/ or Robley Rex VA Medical Center, Mailcode: 135, 800 Zorn Avenue, Louisville, Kentucky 40206

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