Son of Hayward Benton Drane and Louisa Sloan Drane. He was a graduate of Mississippi State University with membership in Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) and Alpha Zeta (AZ) fraternities and received an International Farm Youth Exchange ambassadorship to India in 1956 sponsored by the National 4-H Foundation. In 1978, he earned his Master's Degree in Human Resources Management in Economics from the University of Utah. He was a retired Lieutenant Colonel and aviator of the U.S. Army, served 20 years of active duty with deployments in France, Germany, and was stationed to over ten Army base sin the U.S. In 1977, he was selected to attend the Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, PA. In 1978, he was selected by the Secretary of the Army for assignment to the Pentagon to supervise the recruiting and retention program for the entire United States and U.S. Army Reserve units in Europe. In 1981, he retired to his home town of Natchez, MS and continued service in the Retired Reserves, operated a logging company, served as a volunteer 4-H advisor on beekeeping, established a wildlife enhancement project, and served 10 years as the Veterans Service Officer in Natchez. He was a columnist for the Natchez Democrat Daily Newspaper, a Master Mason, lifetime member of the American Legion, and member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Eunice Ball Drane; former wife, Mary Saucier Drane; two sisters, Mary Catherine Drane Burnett and Mary Ethel Drane Anderson; brother, Hayward B Drane, Jr.; and nephew, Hayward B Drane III. He leaves his three daughters, Dianne Drane Jones and husband, David of Mooresville, NC, Deborah Drane Cornelison and husband, Tim of Commerce, GA, and Kathyrn Drane Nunley of Tumwater, WA; six grandchildren, Christopher Lee Cornelison, Michelle Cornelison Smith, Parker Lee Jones, Riley Benton Jones, Isaac Theodore Nunley, and Joshua Aaron Nunley; and great granddaughter, Sara James Cornelison.