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Derek Cox was an amazing person and a fantastic friend. He passed away in July of 2000, just weeks shy of his 20th birthday, after a pick-up truck hit his car as he was driving a friend to the airport. He was in a coma for several days before passing away. He is survived by his loving mother Liz Chadec and countless friends.
After graduation, he worked in Gig Harbor for a year, before heading up to Western Washington University. While he was working in Gig Harbor he touched many lives. At his funeral, one of his customers came up and spoke about how she had never known Derek, except from him being a checker at a drug store. She said that every time she went in there Derek was always cheerful and really made her day better. His excitement for life was contagious.
Whenever you encountered Derek through out high school he was inevitably enthusiastic about something , be it Sailor Moon, singing the "Shaft Theme Song" about Mel Chopp, the calculus teacher, swing dancing in the halls, or just life in general. He had an incredilbe knack for lifting people up with his zest for life. When he passed away, one of his neighbors spoke at his funeral saying that when her dog ran away and killed Dereks rabbit, she had been extremely upset. Derek, being who he was, ended up comforting her.
Still eight years later, writing this has broken my heart all over again. I had known Derek since fifth grade, when he moved in across the street. There are so many memories from growing up with him that it's hard to pick which ones to include. We were so lucky to have Derek in our lives, even for so short a time. I am sorry for all those people who never got to meet him, who never got to know the truly amazing person that he was. He will always be missed and loved.
Lisa Kruckeberg
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Jennifer Maneja
Derek was one heck of a guy. He always brought a smile and a kick ass sense of humor. Derek will always be someone I believed helped me become the person I am today, and I hope he knows his friendship and his character meant more to me than I can ever explain.Dustin Peters
When I first moved to the Harbor in 1993, Derek was my next door neighbor. He was an absolutely brilliant person with lots of energy. I miss him very much. We used to play Zelda and had great times laughing and being boys together. His heart was full of love, excitement, and generosity. He got that from his mother, God bless you Liz, and if you read this I would love to see you at the reunion to get a hug. Derek would do anything to put a smile on your face. When highschool came around, I didn't hang out with him anymore, and I know I missed out on some great adventures with him. This taught me to appreciate people for who they are, and to make sure that I keep my true friends. It also instilled in me to never let other people influence my choices with my friends. It was a real pleasure meeting Derek and becoming his friend for a short time. He made an impression on me and I have not been able to go through life without smiling and remembering his character time and time again.Nicholas Binkley
Derek was an awesome guy and will be missed at the 10 yr. I remeber one day after HS i was in the dairy queen drive thru in my blazer and he wasnt paying attention and rear ended me. ill never forget that. nothing was hurt but it was funny.i always enjoyed Derek. was one of the nicest guys. it's a shame he gone. one who will trully be missed!!!
Jennifer Estroff
Derek could make me laugh harder than almost anyone ever has. When the Spice Girls were huge (yes, I was a fan), he came up with the "I Thought Safe Sex Was Leaving the Parking Brake On" Spice. I remember falling down laughing. One of the things I remember most fondly is that he and I have a joint picture in one of the annuals on the fashion page, being generally ridiculous.Derek brought out the best in people, and I'm glad he was a part of my life, however deeply.