Obituaries

Rhonda Diana Draper was born July 18, 1963, in Huntsville, Alabama. She graduated from Fern Creek High School in 1982 and went on to pursue a long career as a caregiver and medical professional in long-term care. Her warm and giving nature brightened the days of so many people, and being a caregiver was both her professional and personal calling.

 Rhonda departed this life on March 13, 2026, at the age of 62 after a brave battle with ovarian cancer. She was preceded in death by her loving son, Michael Shawn Draper.

Rhonda leaves to cherish her memory her devoted mother, Betsy Draper; her loving siblings, Michele “Missy” Draper (Mark Coleman), Tony Draper, Dan Draper (Lindsey), and Damon Draper; and her beloved grandsons, Zion and Malachi. She will also be dearly missed by her close friends Michael Brooks (Darline) and Michelle Hopkins, as well as a host of nieces and nephews, friends, and extended family.

Rhonda will be remembered for her generous heart and fierce protection of those she loved. Her big laugh and sense of humor carried her and her family through many difficult times. She was our anchor and our guiding light, and even at the edge of goodbye, her heart stayed fixed on one thing: that everyone she loved would be safe, held close, and cared for.

 We will miss her every day—her laugh, her strength, and the way she made each of us feel loved—and we will carry her with us always.