Gerald “Jerry” Allen Drain was born on Feb. 4, 1959, to Frederick Allen Drain and Diane Marie Ferguson, in Lafayette, Louisiana. He began elementary school in Maryville, Missouri, then completed elementary school in Mukilteo, Washington.
He graduated from Mariner High School in Everett, Washington in 1976. He went to Northwestern University in Maryville, Missouri for two years majoring in art history, then took a break and managed a race horse ranch for five years.
Tiring of the cold winters, he went back to school at Edmonds Community College in Edmonds, Washington, majored in Computer Science, and was the first student from ECC to be accepted into the University of Washington Computer Engineering School.
Upon graduation in 1988, he went to work as an intern for IBM in Minnesota. Jerry returned to the Northwest and went to work for Microsoft, enjoying being on the cutting edge of computer software technology. He worked on programs including Windows 95, Internet Explorer, and several other releases.
He retired after 10 years when health issues required more attention.
Jerry married the love of his life, Ardis Ostrin, during his time at Microsoft. They lived in Kenmore, Washington, where their daughter, Rheannon, was born.
He enjoyed sailing, fishing, and hunting, as well as wood working. He had an opportunity to purchase a dovetail box business after leaving Microsoft and enjoyed being self-employed.
After setting up the website for his business, he began receiving orders from across the country, and realized he wanted to move out of the city, and that his business would allow that. He moved his family to Scotts Mills where they had a farm with turkeys, ducks, chickens, and goats.
He continued his woodworking business and also developed websites for customers until health prevented continuing. He loved solving the challenges inherent in creating and building beautiful things from raw materials, had several ideas for books he wanted to write, enjoyed making sausage and apple cider, and could solve the TV mysteries within the first five minutes of each show. Jerry had a good sense of humor, loved his family, was a loyal friend, and loved God. He will be greatly missed.
Jerry is survived by his wife of 26 years, Ardis Drain; his daughter, Rheannon Drain; his mother, Diane Ferguson; his sister, Patricia Dietzman; his nephew, Charles Dietzman; his sister-in-law, Linda (Jim)Hawthorne; nephew, Tommy Hawthorne; and niece, Valerie Hawthorne; as well as many aunts, uncles, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his father, Fred Drain.
A service in celebration of his life was held on April 7, 2019, 2 p.m. at
Scotts Mills Friends Church.
