Daniel Waters Drago, 1930-2021
Daniel Waters "Dan" Drago was a beloved husband, father, musician, engineer, and actor for the Slidell Little Theatre.
His wife, Margaret K. Drago, and sons and their wives, Tom & Tina Drago, Bob Drago, and Dan Jr. (deceased) & Missy Drago,
will always remember him fondly, and hope you enjoy this memorial.
To donate in lieu of flowers, please visit the Daniel W. Drago Memorial Donation page here.
Dan's Life
Daniel Waters Drago was born in Memphis, TN on November 12, 1930 to Annabelle (Waters) and William "Pappy" Drago, a yardmaster at the Springfield, MO trainyard.
Dan attended Drury College (engineering, music) in 1946. He met Margaret Killough the first week of school at a bridge game hosted by the daughter of the college president. They partnered in the game within a few minutes of meeting, and continued to play bridge together for the next seven decades. They wed December 30, 1950.
After graduating, they taught at Forsyth High in Missouri. Dan directed the Missouri National Guard band, which had the honor of playing for President Truman. Daniel Waters Jr. was born in 1952. Shortly thereafter, Dan was hired as a high school music director in Marion, IA. Robert William was born in 1954 and Thomas Allen in 1956.
Dan shifted career tracks in 1955 and started as an engineer for McDonald Douglas in Iowa. He left for a job with Martin Marietta in Denver, CO in 1958. There he worked on Skylab, the Titan II rocket (Gemini project), and wrote routines for astronaut Collins (who circled the moon) on the Apollo project. Dan earned a Master's in Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines. In 1973, Dan moved to Martin's Michoud facility near Slidell, LA, where he worked on external fuel tanks for the Space Shuttle. He transferred to Martin's Orlando, FL facility in 1983 and retired to Lake Wales, FL in 1993.
In Denver, the family attended the First Congregational Church, where Dan and Marge sang in the choir and hosted an annual New Year's party. They were active in the Slidell Little Theater where Dan notably played Moses in "2 by 2" and, later, joined the Lake Wales Little Theatre. They also enjoyed camping, first in tents around the west and then with trailers as they moved south. They particularly loved travelling with their Siamese cats.
Dan's Legacy
Dan is survived by Marge, sons Tom (Tina) and Robert, daughter-in-law Missy, grandchildren Jennifer Barton, Moriah (Rick) Blaylock, Jessica (Adam) Johnson, Kara (Chris) Hart, Sophia (David) Williams, Eva, John, Diana, Darcy (Scott), Daniel III, and great grandchildren Kaylyn, Ashlyn, Jessie, Aaron, Shyanne, Tyler, Kalia, Kai, Rhys, and Theodore. He was preceded in death by son Dan Jr. in 2019, and great grandson Caleb in 2017.
Visit the Daniel W. Drago Obituary link here.
SLT Days, 1974-1983
Dan and Marge backstage at SLT
Dan as Moses in Two by Two, Slidell Little Theatre
Dan as Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, Slidell Little Theatre
Dan as The Man of La Mancha, Slidell Little Theatre
Dan in Mousetrap, Slidell Little Theatre
Fiddler on the Roof
Dan and Marge in costume, backstage at SLT
Drago Family
Dan and Marge Drago, Parents, Siblings
Daniel & Margaret Drago, Orlando FL, approx. 1995
Daniel's parents, William (Pappy) & Hazel Drago, Springfield MO, approx. 1970
Margaret's parents, William & Lucille Killough, St. Louis MO, approx. 1970
(from rear right) Daniel, Margaret, Richard Killough (Margaret's brother), Jean Killough, Russell Killough-Miller (son of Richard & Jean), and various Killough grandchildren, Friendship Maine, approx. 1990.
Drago Family
Dan and Marge Drago, Children, Grandchildren
from left: Marge & Dan, Jeanne Alexander & Bob Drago (son), Sharon Calnek & Dan Drago Jr. (son), Bill & Esther Drago
from left: Tom Drago (son), Tina Drago, Dan
Grandchildren, Universal Studios, 1991, from left Jennifer, Moriah, Kara, Diana, John, Jessica
Marge, Dan, Sophia (grandaughter) & DJ Williams
NYC, 2013, from left: Steve, Heather (Marge's grandneice), Dan, Marge, Eva (granddaughter), Corey, Linda, Tina & Tom Drago
Please visit the Daniel W. Drago Memorial Donation page here.
