Joyce Drake

Joyce Alfreda Kuykendall Drake, age 85 of Cookeville, passed away Tuesday evening, May 5, 2020. She was born August 18, 1934 in Cookeville to the late Alfred Algood Kuykendall Sr. and DM Langford Kuykendall. Mrs. Drake graduated with honors from Central High School in1952 and was one of the top five students in her class. She graduated from Tennessee Polytechnic Institute (TTU) in 1956 with a bachelor's degree in Home Economics. In her early life, she taught school in Metro Nashville and also worked in Nutrition. For most of her life, she was a homemaker. Mrs. Drake was a long time member of the Broad Street Church of Christ and, later Jefferson Avenue Church of Christ. She was also a member of the First Families of Putnam County, a great great granddaughter of Noah Hampton Kuykendall, one of the County’s founding fathers. Mrs. Drake loved gardening and flowers and beautiful blooms always graced her home. She is survived by two daughters, Mary Dee (Brian) Allen of Cookeville, Amy (Mike) Allen of Cookeville; grandchildren, Celia Elizabeth (Jon) Hanson of Salt Lake City, UT, Jesse Lee Allen of Cookeville, and Benjamin Edgar Allen of Cookeville; great grandchildren, Elizabeth Grace Hanson and Ethan Gregory Hanson of Salt Lake City, UT; and a brother, Alfred (Carol) Kuykendall Jr. of Medina, TN. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Walter Carroll Drake; and her sister, Gail Kuykendall Henderson. Graveside funeral services and interment will be at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, May 10 at Smyrna Cemetery, Brother David Fox officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Cancer Care Fund, c/o CRMC Foundation, 1 Medical Center Blvd. Cookeville, TN 38501 or Alzheimer's TN, 390 S. Lowe Ave., Suite I, Cookeville, TN 38501. Hooper Huddleston and Horner Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. (931) 526-6111. Please share your thoughts and memories at www.hhhfunerals.com.