Posted by Dora Dye on Feb 23, 2022
John Dracup was a member of our Club from March 11, 2009 to December 2, 2016. He was a civil and environmental engineering professor emeritus, who specialized in hydrology and water resource engineering and taught at both UCLA and UC Berkeley for more than half a century. At the end of 2016, John moved to Santa Monica to be near his family and joined the Rotary club in Santa Monica.
 
In Rotary, he is most remembered for building sustainable clean water systems funded by Rotary International in remote regions of developing countries. He conducted clean water projects in Kenya, Peru, Honduras, and Guatemala, and published a book entitled Clean Water for Developing Countries.
 
John passed away on December 20, 2021. See his obituary.  A few of our Club's past presidents shared their memories of John:
 
John was an example of what someone can do in retirement. During his illustrious career at UC Berkeley, he did not have time to join Rotary. Once John retired, he joined our Club, began a life of service, and raised our awareness and involvement in water projects. He was successful and happy. It shows what you can do through Rotary if you are passionate, and it does not matter what age you are when you join. John left our Club reluctantly when he and his wife moved to Southern California to be closer to their children. He continued with Rotary there and with his beloved water projects, making a difference in the world. We will miss John. 
 
~ Anita Stangl, Club President, 2006-2007
~ Jim Patrick, Club President, 1984-1985
 
John Dracup was a wonderful human being and the perfect person to manage water and sanitation. What he did for the island in the middle of Lake Victoria was tremendous! John was a fabulous Rotarian and friend.
 
~ John Mathers, Club President, 2017-2018
 
I was close to John for a number of years. He led our Club's last two clean water projects in Kenya; recruited numerous speakers including iterations of World Wide Rotary Day; was on the Rotary cadre; and influential in many areas of the RAG and locally in clean water.
 
~ Eric Schmautz, Club President, 2008-2009
District 5150 Governor, 2013-2014