Derek
He was my first boyfriend. He was part of the group when I attended my first science fiction convention. It was a one day mini-con at a hotel that was turned into a medical center a few years later. He loved everything about James Bond. He was an obsessive collector at times. He had both the stereo and mono versions of the James Bond soundtracks. He loved Dark Shadows. He was into all kinds of electronic gadgets. His father raised orchids even created a new version and named it after Derek. Some of Derek’s father’s orchids were in Raymond Burr’s collection and he had a few from Mr. Burr. He was a sweet man who was always there for others. He was a founding member of the Druid Hills Science Fiction club. He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on May 29.
Our break-up when I was a senior in high school was not clean or neat. It was my fault all the way. We managed to sort things out and stayed friends but it took a while and almost cost both of us a couple of friendships. We would drift but eventually we would catch up with each other. His wife Stella is a brilliant artist. I loved the work of hers that I saw over the years. She had a wind-chime dragon out of metal that was amazing. She and I got along well. I was always glad that Derek found happiness and love. He deserved it. I know he was happy for me finding Peter and getting married. He did know about Caroline.
He was one of my brother Sean’s buddies. They had a lot of common interests. Derek sold Sean his first car a monster Pontiac Tempest with a barely legal police engine under the hood. It was a good first car for Sean to have. Sean would usually get me up to speed on what Derek was up to. Derek was a computer wiz. He could figure things out about systems and how they should work faster than anyone I know. He was good with electronics. He built me a Blake 7 gun that lit up when you squeezed the trigger which was so cool. He made a Star Trek transporter pad and control that we used at a Halloween party. He created a slide show to Science Fiction/Double Feature using images from the films they were singing about. He was my first kiss.
He, Stella and his parents had moved to New Mexico. I was a bit surprised when I heard but then I had kind of dropped everything and moved to New York on rather short notice. He moved out there with his parents and bought a horse farm. He had a consulting business and a website on omega watches which he collected with a passion. Derek was passionate about a lot of things. It was a quiet passion but it was there burning inside him. I am having a hard time wrapping myself around this because this is not something I would have even thought of him doing but there it is. He’s dead and we are left with the question of why? He was my first crush.
Rest In Peace Derek. I will miss you.
I am grateful that I knew Derek. I just wish I had made more of an effort to keep in touch.
Our break-up when I was a senior in high school was not clean or neat. It was my fault all the way. We managed to sort things out and stayed friends but it took a while and almost cost both of us a couple of friendships. We would drift but eventually we would catch up with each other. His wife Stella is a brilliant artist. I loved the work of hers that I saw over the years. She had a wind-chime dragon out of metal that was amazing. She and I got along well. I was always glad that Derek found happiness and love. He deserved it. I know he was happy for me finding Peter and getting married. He did know about Caroline.
He was one of my brother Sean’s buddies. They had a lot of common interests. Derek sold Sean his first car a monster Pontiac Tempest with a barely legal police engine under the hood. It was a good first car for Sean to have. Sean would usually get me up to speed on what Derek was up to. Derek was a computer wiz. He could figure things out about systems and how they should work faster than anyone I know. He was good with electronics. He built me a Blake 7 gun that lit up when you squeezed the trigger which was so cool. He made a Star Trek transporter pad and control that we used at a Halloween party. He created a slide show to Science Fiction/Double Feature using images from the films they were singing about. He was my first kiss.
He, Stella and his parents had moved to New Mexico. I was a bit surprised when I heard but then I had kind of dropped everything and moved to New York on rather short notice. He moved out there with his parents and bought a horse farm. He had a consulting business and a website on omega watches which he collected with a passion. Derek was passionate about a lot of things. It was a quiet passion but it was there burning inside him. I am having a hard time wrapping myself around this because this is not something I would have even thought of him doing but there it is. He’s dead and we are left with the question of why? He was my first crush.
Rest In Peace Derek. I will miss you.
I am grateful that I knew Derek. I just wish I had made more of an effort to keep in touch.