| Shenandoah Drake 1987-2007 |
[Oct. 17th, 2007|08:11 pm] |
| Shenandoah Drake | | | - Shenandoah Drake 1987 ~ 2007 Shenandoah Drake, age 20, died on Monday, October 8, 2007 at the University of Utah Medical Center, in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was born April 11 in 1987 in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Sam and Alice Drake, three years after the birth of her brother Jesse. Her parents, Sam and Alice, will host a gathering to remember Shenandoah and to celebrate her enthusiastic, active, intense life this Saturday, Oct. 20, 2007 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Tanner Dance Studio on the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City at 230 South Wasatch Drive. Directions to the Tanner Dance Studio are on the website www.tannerdance.utah.edu Before age two, Shenandoah learned to ski at Snowbird. At three, she skied her first black diamond at Park City Mountain Resort. When her brother turned out to be too big to repeat his performance with Ballet West in "Romeo and Juliet", Shenandoah got the part and was the youngest child, at age three, to appear with Ballet West. At four, she started modern dance at the Tanner Dance Studio. She played a soldier in Mountain West Ballet's Nutcracker, danced ballet and jazz in the Salt Lake Dance Center's performances, and joined the Children's Dance Theater at the Tanner Dance Studio. With Children's Dance Theater, she went to Kuopio, Finland, and St. Petersburg, Russia, getting both to perform and to watch amazing performances. In ski racing at Park City, Shenandoah brought home medals, trophies, and stories. At Juan Diego Catholic High School, Shenandoah excelled in Cross Country Running and went to Australia to race and tour after her freshman year. In her junior year, she won the 2A Cross Country State Championship. She worked at Deer Valley Resort as a restaurant assistant, pastry chef, and last year, as a ski instructor. With a Scottish Country Dance tour, Shenandoah danced through northern Scotland, the Orkney Islands and Shetland. In her senior year, she studied Veterinary Technology through the Jordan Technology Program and graduated with honors from Juan Diego High School in 2005. At the University of Utah, Shenandoah planned to major in Emergency Medical Services. She traveled a second time to Great Britain, riding horseback in England, Wales, and Scotland. Her favorite repeat trip was going to British Columbia, Canada to sail the Inside Passage to Alaska, surf in Tofino, and enjoy the Butchart Gardens. With her father and University of Utah Engineering students, Shenandoah attended Formula SAE and Mini-Baja race car competitions. In the last two years as a student, she was able to drive in the Mini-Baja competition. Shenandoah embraced life passionately and pursued her goals without giving up. At age 19, Shenandoah met Ian Whiting, also 19. They had planned to marry August 6, 2008. Diagnosed with manic bipolar mood disorder at age 17, Shenandoah took medication to control the disease. She died, wishing to be herself, ending the abuse of both the disease and of the side effects of the medication. In lieu of flowers, donations may be mailed in the name of Shenandoah Drake to Tanner Dance, 1901 East, South Campus Drive, Room 1215, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-9359, Telephone 801-581-7374. Alternatively, donations may be mailed in the name of Shenandoah Drake to the National Alliance on Mental Illness: NAMI Utah, 450 South 900 East, Suite 160, Salt Lake City, Utah 84102, Telephone 801-323-9900.
Published in the Salt Lake Tribune on 10/17/2007. |
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