By Carter Williams

SALT LAKE CITY (KSL) -- Neil Draper may have grown up in the Heber Valley, but he always called Rose Park his second home after taking over a Phillips 66 gas station in the 1960s.

And while his colleagues around him may have had money for boats and nice vacations, he would often spend whatever additional money he came up with on youth sports, with a fondness for baseball.

"Daddy was buying baseball jerseys, hats and making sure there was a snow cone waiting for them after their games," said Susan Draper Marshall, remembering her father. "No matter where we were in this world, there was always someone who would come up and say, 'Neil Draper, I played on your baseball team."

Draper, who died in March, a week after celebrating his 94th birthday, was a community fixture whose business — Neil's Pro Service — is still in the Salt Lake neighborhood today, remaining within the family. His legacy as a youth baseball supporter is now being honored by the city, as well.

Members of the Salt Lake City Council approved a resolution Tuesday night to rename the northeast baseball field in Riverside Park "Neil Draper Field" in his memory.

"The Draper family has repeatedly invested (in Rose Park), making sure that the strength of our youth, the talent of our youth, the promise of our youth has an outlet," said Salt Lake City Councilwoman Victoria Petro, who is a Rose Park resident.

"So now for us to be able to turn around and make sure, going forward, your family name, your patriarch's name is seen, read, remembered and honored for what you've done for us — thank you for giving me a place to raise my family," she added, as she spoke to members of the Draper family before the vote.

The vote follows a Salt Lake City parks master plan in 2022, which suggested renaming some parks or park features to recognize Indigenous names and community leaders. When it came to naming the northeast ballpark at Riverside Park — made famous as a filming location in "The Sandlot" — Draper's name came to mind.

Neil's Pro Service is a "landmark" in the neighborhood in its own right, Petro explained. She shared stories of how the business has helped her and her neighbors time and time again.

But his contributions to youth sports were equally instrumental, leaving a "meaningful mark on the neighborhood," Salt Lake City Parks and Public Lands officials wrote in a document outlining the proposal.

Draper supported Granite and West high schools, as well as other schools in the region that his grandchildren would attend, no matter the sport. Yet, Rose Park Baseball was always his "pride and joy," Marshall said. He'd proudly display team photos on the wall of his front office.

The recognition also comes as Rose Park Baseball celebrates its 70th anniversary, which has already included support from some members of "The Sandlot" cast. Some of the organization's leaders came to Tuesday's meeting to see the resolution pass.

"It is a name that is revered," said Kristina Cook, a board member of the youth baseball organization. "I think (it's) the greatest honor that could ever be bestowed on someone."

Petro delivered flowers to Draper's widow before the formal vote. The City Council also posed for a photo with members of his family who also attended the meeting after it adjourned.

It was an evening that the Draper family will never forget.

"We will hold this forever in our hearts," Marshall said. "What a legacy for his grandchildren and great grandchildren — and soon to be great-great grandson."

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