Michael John Drabek

Michael John Drabek passed away peacefully on September 4, 2024. He is in the presence of our Lord after a five-year battle with the rare cancer, Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor.

Michael was born on December 14, 1968, in Buffalo, New York. He was the son of Carolyn Ann (Hess) and Edwin Stephen Drabek. He was baptized and received First Communion at St. Gerard’s RC church in Buffalo, where he attended grade school. He always enjoyed reminiscing about his idyllic childhood experience with his loving brother, Timothy, the Krens, and the Fusanis and many more close friendships from his Buffalo roots. After moving with his family to the village of Hamburg, NY in 1977 he was a communicant at SS Peter and Paul’s church and attended 3 rd through 12 th grade at Hamburg public schools, graduating in 1987. From Hamburg, Mark, Stu, Dave, Andy, and Don were some of his closest childhood friends who remained near throughout adulthood, despite the distance. Mark, especially, was faithfully calling each day to keep Mike laughing through his struggle. Biannual visits to Buffalo with his cousins Joan, Marge, Val, and Rose encouraged him to retain his Polish heritage, sharing special memories, foods and traditions.

Mike completed a BS degree in Sociology from S.U.N.Y. Geneseo, where he met his college sweetheart and wife, Tiffany (Tette) of Rochester, NY. Shortly after he completed his Master’s in Public Administration from Alfred University in 1993, he married Tiffany and bought their first home in Penfield, NY. He paved his passion and career in community service (following the footsteps of his mother) as manager of a group home for mentally disabled adults, supervised the residential care of at-risk youth (even voluntarily fostered a teen for a few months to avoid her incarceration), worked for Rochester Interfaith Jail Ministry, and eventually became the Director of a federal halfway house through the Salvation Army. There, he provided spiritual counseling
and guidance to federal inmates returning to civilian life from prison.

In 1997 Mike and Tiffany moved to Savannah, GA where they found their home nestled among amazing neighbors. He commuted to Darien to work as an administrator for Three Springs Youth Detention Center. In 1999 he launched his career with United States Bankruptcy Court, Southern District, where he had the honor to serve in many roles, including Management Analyst, Human Resources Administrator, Procurement Specialist, (and unofficially the Court Choir Director). He retired in 2021 after 22 dedicated years. He treasured his beloved “Court Family,” and is believed to have triggered the avalanche of “Bankruptcy Babies” in 2002 with the birth of his son, Gabriel.

Mike and Tiffany were grateful to have found their Sycamore Church family, through which Mike served as a worship leader and musician. With his Sycamore brothers, he used his gift of music and served in the Kairos prison ministry. Mike attended weekly Sycamore men’s lunch meetings that infused him with hope, love, and laughter as he barreled through his cancer. The support and friendship from his church community and especially his pastors, Dusty, Dane, and Ric have been invaluable. For 20 years he has been a Mentor to his Protegee and good friend, Peter Ianuzzi, through Citizens Advocacy of Savannah.

By far, one of the greatest gifts God could give him other than salvation and his helpmate, Tiffany, was his three sons, Gabriel, Caleb and Nicolas. He closely followed Proverbs 22:6: “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” He and Tiffany homeschooled the boys through middle school with the help of loving families through Classical Conversations and Kingdom Builders Homeschool Co-Op. Mike led a precious boy scout group through Family Educators for Christ. He invited ongoing dialogue with each son about God from the day they were born. He joyfully supported each boy’s love for soccer by traveling to Tarnation (the entire southeast of the US) each weekend for tournaments for many years. From this emerged another special group of friends, his “soccer family.” His physical limitations from his cancer didn’t stop him from leading a weekly youth group for Nic and his close friends at his home. As much as this blessed those boys, it completed Mike’s mission to share the love of Jesus through His Word. He was honored to have facilitated the baptism of each son at Tybee Beach with Pastor Dusty. He was always very thankful for the God-fearing young men his three sons have become.

From an early age, Mike was an accomplished, professional musician. His main instruments were drums and percussion, yet he taught himself proficiently in guitar, bass, and keyboard. He was also a beloved drum instructor. He became well known in the Savannah music community and was the go-to back-up drummer for several professional bands – able to fill in without missing a beat. He considered it an honor to have played with Matt Maher, Jessi Manibusan, Chris Muglia, Jeff and Mary Davis, Jeremy Davis, Chris Chandler, Jackson & Maggie Evans, and countless others. He was so proud to be a founding member with his buddies, Gary Strickland and Chuck Frost of the Christian rock group, Fish-Eyed Fools, performing many roles as drummer, back-up singer, and songwriter. They produced a delightful album for their music ministry, and traveled along the east coast to bless children attending youth retreats. Mike was a man of faith and read scripture daily, sharing the Word freely with all who would listen. His parents lovingly raised their boys in an enriching Catholic community, roots from which Mike carried with him along his faith journey. Just before marrying Tiffany he experienced a renewal of his Christian faith after reading Matthew 5:13, “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.”
It was this pivotal, personal conviction that redirected the rest of his life to serve God above himself and invite others to walk this path with him. God provided the Sycamore Church to walk with him.

Mike was a die-hard Buffalo Bills fan and The Andy Griffith Show enthusiast, loved fishing and nature like his dad and brother, and often effortlessly exercised his fondness for humor through vivid and hilarious storytelling. While Mike’s last few years were filled with much pain and suffering he managed to persevere with incredible strength, no doubt bolstered by his faith in God and the support from friends and family. He was definitely comforted by all of the prayers and heart-felt messages he received. A special thanks should be made to the vast number of doctors, notably Dr. Boudreaux and NET team, Dr. Taylor, and Dr. Griffin, nurses and aides that helped him in Savannah at Candler Hospital and at both Ochsner and East Jefferson Hospitals in New Orleans.

Michael is survived by his wife Tiffany (nee Tette), sons Gabriel, Caleb and Nicolas, mother Carolyn, brother Tim (Ann Marie), nephews Jonathan (Dominique), Joshua (Hailey), niece, Jacquie (Steve), great-nephew, Mason, mother-in-law, Marshelle, brother-in-laws, Troy and Glenn(Ashley), and sister-in-law, Kim. Mike was predeceased by his beloved father and best friend, Edwin Drabek, his father-in-laws, Richard and Daniel , his sister-in-law, Lesli, and brother-in-law, Devin.

Family will be receiving friends 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 11, 2024 at Windsor Forest Baptist Church, 12521 White Bluff Rd, Savannah, GA 31419. A funeral service will begin at 6:00 p.m.

Interment will be held 9:30 a.m. Thursday, September 12, 2024 at Greenwich Cemetery, 330 Greenwich Rd, Savannah, GA 31404.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to any of the following fruitful organizations that
Mike supported:

Sycamore Church Missions https://www.thesycamorechurch.com/

Kairos Prison Ministry of Georgia https://www.kairosofgeorgia.org/donate-now/

Cru at Georgia Southern University https://give.cru.org/2844514