WALTHAM — Kevin J. Draper passed away suddenly on the afternoon of Jan. 30, 2020. Kevin was born on Sept. 6, 1954, the son of Edward and Helen Draper. He lived the first years of his life in Richford, Vt. The entire family moved to Middlebury, Vt., in the summer of 1960. Kevin graduated from Middlebury Union High School in 1972, and immediately joined the Navy. He always liked to cook, and he became a Navy cook. He enjoyed his years in the Navy as it gave him the opportunity to explore parts of the world he had only read about.
When he left the Navy, Kevin went to Johnson and Wales in Rhode Island and trained to be a Chef. He worked as a chef in a couple of places in southern New England, but then returned to Vermont to settle down. He lived in Waterbury Center for years and was a chef in several restaurants in that area. He and his wife adopted a son from Russia. After his divorce he moved back to the Middlebury area, where he has lived for about 10 years.
Kevin has always loved cooking, and even when he was no longer able to work full time, he could be found cooking at the American Legion and the VFW in Middlebury. They became like a second family to him in recent years.
Kevin is survived by his son Sergei; his siblings Stephen Draper of Middlebury and Nancy Foster of Weybridge; his brother-in-law Robert Foster; four nieces, Heather Foster-Provencher, Jennifer Foster, Robin Foster Cole, and Melissa Bush; and his ex-wife, Janet Gordon. He was predeceased by one sister, Carole Draper.
There are no visiting hours. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Middlebury American Legion, 49 Wilson Rd., Middlebury, VT 05753. There will be a celebration of Kevin’s life at the American Legion in Middlebury on Friday, Feb. 7, starting at 4 p.m.◊