Raven Drake, devoted Iron Maiden fan, dedicated community member, and fiercely loyal friend, passed away on February 14, 2026, at the age of 58.

A black sheep by nature and unapologetically herself, Raven lived life on her own terms, surrounding herself with the people who mattered most. What she cared about, she cared about fiercely. Her passion for Iron Maiden was legendary and evident in her memorabilia collection and her active participation in the Iron Maiden Fan Club.

That same passion for community and creative energy carried into her longstanding involvement in community theatre. Raven spent many years working in the Ottawa Little Theatre box office and volunteering with community theatre companies including Goya Theatre and the Savoy Society of Ottawa. At Orpheus Musical Theatre, she could be found cutting fabric in the costume room, designing props, painting sets, lending a hand in the workshop, or riding shotgun in the moving trucks during load-ins and load-outs.

Over the last decade, Raven brought that same charismatic presence into her everyday work. At the Giant Tiger on Wellington Street, often behind cash register #1, she was a familiar face and a warm constant. In more recent years, she particularly enjoyed her work as part of the maintenance team at the Ottawa Hospital. Whether helping someone with a DIY project, keeping things running behind the scenes, or listening to someone vent about life’s troubles, she had a way of being exactly what you needed, exactly when you needed it. It was in her relationships that Raven’s fiercest devotion was most fully felt. Her love for “her people” was unwavering and always on display. You could always count on her to show up when you needed her to, with a smile, genuine love in her heart, and a beer in her hand. She was the voice of reason and your external conscience, delivering reality without a filter but always from a place of loyalty and love. She was your biggest fan and your most vocal defender. Her hugs, praise and encouragement could fill your cup for days.

Raven will be deeply missed by the family she chose and curated over many years of friendship. Her “sister” Cindy List and her husband Vic; her steadfast supporter through life’s ups and downs, Steve Jones; her theatre child, Kevin Gehrels, his wife Carmella (Wilson), her mimosa companion, and their son Mark, her kryptonite; her purveyors of good times and cottage getaways, Murray and Pauline Doggett; her theatre friends Graham Galway and Maritie Lord-Galway, and Maggie Walters; her high school friend, co-worker and roommate from days gone by, Jennifer Donnelly. Raven will also be remembered fondly by countless other friends, co-workers, and fellow theatre volunteers, past and present.

No visitation or funeral is planned. A celebration of life event will take place at a later date.

For those wishing to make a gesture of remembrance, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ottawa Hospital Foundation. Those wishing to honour Raven’s spirit may also consider giving their time as a volunteer to a charitable organization.