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Jerry Drake, ‘The Flower Man,’ has passed away

Posted at 4:35 PM, Dec 10, 2014
and last updated 2014-12-10 21:18:42-05

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Jerry Drake, the iconic “Flower Man” from Grand Rapids’ West side, died Wednesday morning at his home, according to his family.

He was recently hospitalized with a liver condition.

Jerry touched the lives of hundreds in West Michigan; you could usually catch him walking with a bucket of flowers to sell on the West side, often stopping into the McDonald’s on Leonard Street to grab a bite.

McDonald’s employee Jen Wade told FOX 17 News that she looked forward to seeing Jerry every day, and was shocked when he called her from the hospital telling her about his illness.

“(Jerry) just really touched my heart, and the fact that he remembered me,” Wade said. “He knew you by your name, and he knew a lot of people by their names. He always made a point of that, and he never got your name wrong.”

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