Vladimir Joseph Dragan

It is with profound sadness and deep respect that Book Barn of the Finger Lakes announces the passing of its beloved founder and steward, Vladimir Joseph Dragan, 73, of Dryden, New York who died peacefully on May 25, 2026 at Penn Medicine Clifton Center following a brave battle with glioblastoma, supported by his loving wife Marie C. Powers. He fought pain free and alert until his last breath.

Vladimir, born on May 15, 1953 in Bridgeport, Connecticut was the first child of Dr. Vladimir Walter Dragan, DDS, and Helen Kurucza Dragan. From an early age Vlad collected books and aspired to be an architect; however, after graduating from Trumbull High School, Trumbull, Connecticut in 1971, he pursued a pre-med curriculum at George Washington University, Washington, D.C. where he met Marie, the love of his life. He decided to pursue his dream of being an architect and transferred to Boston University for architectural studies before earning his Bachelor of Architecture at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, in 1985.

He began his early professional life in Washington, D.C. working with Fred Klein in Georgetown and DeWitt, Poor and Shelton. His projects included residential, commercial, the East front of the U.S. Capitol and a historically significant row house on Hillyer Place, N.W. Washington, D.C.

Upon graduation from Cornell he worked with Egner and Associates in Ithaca for several years on projects at Cornell, SUNY Cortland and the community before opening his bookstore Book Barn of the Finger Lakes as he continued to collect and sell books throughout his 5 year architecture program and professional career. The union of his love for books and architecture culminated in his sensitive adaptive reuse of the large barn on a 19th century farmstead at Laceys Corners, the site of a Cayuga trail and the original route 13, for which he received an Award of Merit from Historic Ithaca & Tompkins County.

For nearly 35 years Vladimir welcomed generations of readers and collectors into the red barn he transformed into a treasured literary destination. As one patron noted: “I could spend uninterrupted days and nights in the place, emerging starved, sleepless and happy, unaware of the passage of time.” Friends and patrons will remember Vladimir for his encyclopedic knowledge, sharp wit, generosity, eccentric charm, train collection, his beloved felines, and unwavering devotion to preserving the magic of physical books in a changing world.

Vladimir is survived by his loving wife Marie C. Powers; step son Peter W. Nagrod; step grandson Alexander W. Nagrod; cousin Raymond Jankowich, M.D.; cousins in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts and beloved feline Gilligan.

A Panikhida will be held on Sunday May 31, 2026 at 6:00 P.M. at Holy Apostles Orthodox Church, 345 Ridge Rd, Lansing, New York with funeral service on Monday June 1, 2026 at 9:00 A.M. officiated by Father Joel Brady. Burial to follow in Willow Glen Cemetery, Route 13, Dryden, NY. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to your local library or favorite feline rescue organization.