Robert Drabek
Early Life
Robert John Drabek was born on March 26, 1947, in San Antonio, Texas, and was brought up in Phoenix, Arizona, by his mother, Helen Pence, and stepfather Robert Barnes. It was there that he met his good friend Ernesto Franco, whose sister Consuelo later went to become his first wife and the mother to his son Elliott.
Education & Air Force Service
Having completed his high school education from 1965 to 1968, Robert joined the US Air Force. He trained in Biloxi, Mississippi, before working as a radar technician in Ajo, Arizona. He attended the University of California in Irvine after moving to southern California in 1969. This was the time when Elliott was born.
Caring & Dedicated Educator in AZ
Robert shifted to Arizona with Elliott in 1976 and lived in Cave Creek, Mammoth, San Manuel, and Prescott before settling in Tucson. He attended and later taught at the University of Arizona, where he also tied the knot with Yan. Robert is best remembered for his work in the field of education, having taught high school mathematics in rural Arizona and computer science at the University of Arizona. He won several awards for excellence in teaching, creating summer programs in computer science for high school students at a time when such programs were a rarity.
Known as a torchbearer for moral and ethical values, Robert used his status as an educator to speak about humanistic values, including anti-militarism and the inclusion of women in computer science and the larger world.
Continued Success in Later Life
In 1993, Robert moved to the Washington, DC area with Yan and worked in the private industry before eventually settling down in Western Massachusetts in 2004. He put his charisma, experience, and famously high standards of engineering to great effect in the private industry and the Air Force.
Love for Animals and Hobbies
Robert was a vegetarian for four decades and spoke about his love and affection for animals, and most of all, his beloved golden retriever Hensley. He also loved cars and car racing and had a special place in his heart for Formula One.
Fighting cancers
Robert was diagnosed with CML in 2000. For the first 2 years he was treated with Interferon and suffered terrible side effects. In 2003 after Gleevec was approved by the FDA, he switched to Gleevec and been supporting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society ever since.
In 2015, he was diagnosed with bladder cancer.
In 2018, he was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer. He enrolled in an experimental trail in Dana Farber Cancer Institute until the treatment stopped working.
Robert never give up hope during the 20 years fighting these cancers. He participated in Light the Night events to raise money for cancer researches, and donated generously to the same cause each year. He maintained an active life style by helping families, neighbors and friends selflessly, and travelled with Yan whenever he could.
Celebration of Life
Robert will be remembered fondly and missed deeply by everyone who knew him. A Celebration of Life event is being planned for 2022. Recalling Robert’s love for animals, please consider a donation in his name to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.
Click here to read many comments friends left for Robert and Yan.
Pet Testimonials
As mentioned earlier, Robert was an animal lover who often spoke about his affection for animals and spent most of his life as a vegetarian. Besides his beloved golden retriever, Hensley, he has been survived by several of his pet dogs, including Ada, Tycho, and Katie, who were all very much a part of the Drabeks family. You can listen to their biographies presented below through their own voices.
Hensley
I was raised by Robert and Yan for the Canine Companions for Independence and was to have been a wheelchair assist dog, but my final physical exam revealed that my front elbows have some weakness, and pulling a wheelchair for six or seven years would have left me lame. So I was released back to my family, and I am quite happy about that.
Tycho
I am the guard and hero of the family (and pretty special to Mommy).
Ada
Mommy's first puppy and forever sweet in her heart. Elliott loves me as ever he can love.
Katie
I'm going to be mum about my first seven years and start with my time at Yankee Golden Retriever Rescue (www.ygrr.org). I was there for a few months and got to meet many folks--people who fed me, walked me, taught me a few new things about life, and every once in a while, people who would come meet me in a living room at YGRR. Those living-room people would spend some time with me, and then I'd never see them again. Then one day, September 20, 2008, to be sure, a couple met me in the living room, took me for a long walk, where I met another dog named Tycho, and then after a bit, this couple took me out to their car. I was a little confused about all this, but I couldn't do very much about it; the man sat in the back seat with me and gave me a cookie every now and then, so I wasn't worried too much. The four of us eventually arrived at a house where I met another (little) dog named Papillon. We all went out into a yard and played a little; then we all ate together.
To make a long story short, I've been living here ever since. I get all kinds of attention and affection, food and treats walks and play, and petting and naps. At night I sleep in a big soft bed with that couple I mentioned above--I now call them Mommy and Daddy. I know that sounds overly cute, but I really like the feeling I get when I say it.
Here are a few photos of me. I admit I am cute.
Jessie
I was left to defend myself until this wonderful family took me in. Here's a picture of me with Hensley.
Carob
I got in trouble several times, but my family was always there for me.