Arthur Daniel Drayton

Dr. Arthur Daniel Drayton was born on December 26, 1928 and he departed this life on May 29, 2021 at the age of 92. He was born to Charles and Rebecca Drayton and was the fourth of five children. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers Boysie, Ivan and Edgar and his sister Ruth. After an idyllic childhood he left Trinidad and went to Antigua to teach at the grammar school. Arthur Drayton went to London, England in 1955 to pursue his tertiary education at the University of London. While in England he married Yvonne Davis (whom he had met in Antigua) and that union resulted in four children Denise (Denny), Walter (Junior), Kenneth and Roxane. The next stop was Nigeria where Arthur first taught extra mural studies in Jos and then he became a lecturer at the University of Ibadan. He loved his years in Nigeria but the impending Biafran war resulted in him going back home to the Caribbean where he joined the faculty of the University of The West Indies first at the Mona campus in Jamaica and then at the Cavehill campus in Barbados. Arthur was the first recipient of the Langston Hughes Visiting Professorship that was established by the University of Kansas in 1977. He subsequently became a faculty member and served as the Chair of the African and African-American Studies department. He retired from KU at the age of 70 and moved to Lithonia Georgia with his wife Nonyem Nwabuoku Drayton and their daughter Unoma. Arthur Drayton loved entertaining and making others laugh. When he and his friends gathered it was non stop laughter and endless good times. He played tennis and was an avid cricket and golf fan. He absolutely loved to travel whether it be by plane train or motor car. It was all about discovering places! There was always music - calypso to classical and everything in between. Throughout the years many many photographs were taken by him for which his family is grateful. And Christmas was not Christmas without his annual sweet bread which he lovingly made and sent out to his family no matter how far away they were. Dr. Arthur Daniel Drayton is being mourned by his wife Nonyem Nwabuoku Drayton, his children Denise Drayton, Walter Drayton (daughter-in-law Sherie DuCasse), Kenneth Drayton (daughter-in-law Andrea Gonzales), Roxane Drayton-Oliver (son-in-law Keith Oliver), Unoma Akamagwuna, his grandchildren Adrianna Drayton, Robyn Greene and Ayoka Drayton and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 4:00 pm Friday June 4, 2021 from the chapel of Byrd and Flanigan Funeral Home. The family will receive friends from 3:00 - 4:00 Friday June 4, 2021 at the funeral home. Arrangements by Byrd and Flanigan Crematory & Funeral Service, Lawrenceville. 770-962-2200

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