Terry Draper, 73, was taken from us by leukemia the sunny afternoon of May 15th, 2025 at Southlake Hospital in Newmarket, Ontario. His loving wife of 42 years (together 44), Anna Pelc-Draper, and sons Alex and Adam were by his side.

Born September 22nd, 1951 in Toronto, and raised in Weston, Ontario, Terry’s two passions growing up were hockey and music. But music scored the win when he turned down a chance to join an NHL team’s training camp as a goalie to play drums in a band. And did that ever turn out to be a wild ride.

One of his first drumming gigs was in 1966 at his high school, Emery Collegiate Institute, in J.P. and The 5 Good Reasons with his life-long friend Virgil Scott. As a young musician in the late 1960s, Terry reveled in the Yorkville scene while studying his craft at York University, but left the music program to play in various bands, such as The Trax, Mudcow, Funn, and Klaatu. Never afraid of hard work and long hours, Terry supported his music career as a roofer by day and drummer by night. But work soon turned to creative play when he joined Toronto band Klaatu in 1974 and was let loose in the studio to help create one of the finest albums Capitol Records in L.A. had ever heard. The trio had decided to release their first album with no names or photos. When a rumour went viral that The Beatles had reunited, (and The Carpenters covered “Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft” – a song that Terry co-wrote and in 2019 was inducted into the Canadian Songwriter’s Hall of Fame), they took the comparison as the highest compliment—but continued to “let the music speak for itself.”

In the nearly 50 years since, Terry was asked often in interviews the story behind Klaatu and its four albums – but to his family and friends, the story worth telling isn’t about the band. It’s about the man. The husband, who wrote dozens of beautiful love songs for the love of his life, his Anna Bella. The loving father who taught his sons so much. The friend who would drop everything when needed. The truly beautiful soul who turned his love of art, literature, history, nature (including the turtles at his beloved Swamp Manor), and adventures travelling the world into hundreds of lyrically profound and intricately layered musical compositions, ranging from prog rock to musical theatre.

Only hours before he was taken, Terry’s sons sat beside him in the ICU working on the finishing touches to his 22nd solo album. It was his wish to finish it, as was one last gathering (the man did love a party) with family and friends to say goodbye. It was our love song to him.

Terry is survived by his wife Anna Pelc-Draper; sons Alexander Draper and Adam Draper; and sisters-in-law Rose Pelc and Eva Nomikos. He was predeceased by his parents Kenneth Draper and Grace Draper, and his mother-in-law Agnes Pelc.
A celebration of life for Terry will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please make a difference in someone’s life: whether that be donating to a children’s music program, supporting live (and recorded) music, or helping Princess Margaret Hospital with its Quest to Conquer Cancer. Terry would approve.