When Derick was nominated for a class office at Cal, he thought he was being railroaded. His "campaign" poster in Mr. Hutchinson's homeroom class was quite unique: It read, "Don't vote for Skaggs" with a hand drawn picture of a hip guy playing the bongos. Derick always had a great sense of humor.
Dereck was one of my best friends through junior high and some of high school. He was a dear sweet guy. He was very smart, funny, and kind. Based on what I know now (education) I think he was suffering a bi-polar existence.
We called it manic depressive then, however, he did not go to extreme highs but did go to the deep lows.
He might have been one of the reasons I studied Psychology at Sacrament State. (That and my own need to know what the heck was going on).
I knew Derrick and his family from the time I could first walk and talk, We used to visit them in MIll Valley when I was really little, and then I was delighted when the Skaggs family moved to Sacramento when Derrick was about 9 years old. I recall him sitting behind me in Mrs. Druse's Gr. 6 classroom at Crocker. He always drew the best cartoon figures.
At Cal, Derick and I callled each other "cuz"--we were distantly related through his mother and my father. I will always remember his first suicide attempt, by overdose, in Gr. 8, I believe it was. i called my Dad, who called his Dad, and they went and found him in the park and took him to hospital. I think you're right on in your diagnosis, Joanne. And knowing and loving Derick was probably one of the key reasons I went on to study Child Psychiatry--and tried to help other "Dericks" through my entire career
Derick and I went our separate ways durong and after high school. I heard from my Mom via his Mom that he died in a car accident many years ago. I am sorry that i wasn't a better friend to him during those years--and sorry that he never got the help he needed, But it's apparent from these notes that he affected a lot of people's lives. He was a sweet, generous and funny guy.
As you both may remember, George Schoenberger and I both lived on 11th Ave and Derrick more or less lived on 11th Ave. I met Derrick when I went to Cal Jr High from Holy Spirit and along with Robin Forbes and George we all became good friends playing basketball at Cal Jr. High on weekends, etc. I remember the incident with the pills very well and have often wondered what happened to Derrick. I am sorry to hear of his demise in a car accident but now I know.
I knew Derick in Junior High and High School. I learned to swim in his pool and remember feeling like I was drowning at one point. I went on a vacation with him and his family to Clear Lake and had a great time. We played football in the park between his house and Freeport Blvd. We called it Skaggs field. One year we both competed in the Sac City yo-yo contest and he won and I was runner up. I was sad to hear that he died so young, I had always hoped to see him at a reunion.
The story's that can be told about Derick will never be forgotten. Tom and I ran across Derick at Crocker and Cal Jr high playing basketball and the card games and the conversation all about girls and sports.
When Derick and his family moved to Sacramento around 1956 we met in Mrs. Johnson's fifth grade class. Our friendship began as a friendly rivalry over who was the best artist. I had enjoyed a reputation of being a pretty good cartoonist and suddenly there was this new kid who was a real challenge with pencil and brush.
The game was on.
Through junior high and high school we continued our friendly competition and our relationship grew to include art, philosophy and most importantly music.
Derick and I worked together at the original Tower Records store on Broadway, at a wholesale music company in Sacramento and in 1969 we helped open two record stores in Honolulu,Hawaii. During these years we bacame fast friends, sharing the intimate details and experiences of our lives as good friends always do.
As I persued a life as an artist and entertainer we moved apart but always managed to keep in touch. Derick worked for a time in Yosemite and I was living and working in Oregon but we somehow managed to meet up in Sacramento when I came down to see my parents and he to see his mother.
The last time we got together at his mother's place he showed me some recent drawings he had done and I was happy to see that his his skills had continued to evolve and develop. Derick always had a keen gift of artistic insight and a hunger to continue to grow and push his artistic boundaries further. Like every gifted artist he was never completely satisfied.
Through the prejudice of foggy past recollections we may think we can define problems or flaws in the psyche or the character of someone we knew. These judgements,no matter how earnest, are always flawed. I choose to remember my old friend, not to try and define his deficiencies, and in so doing count the treasure of having such a good friend.
Alice Joan Miller
When Derick was nominated for a class office at Cal, he thought he was being railroaded. His "campaign" poster in Mr. Hutchinson's homeroom class was quite unique: It read, "Don't vote for Skaggs" with a hand drawn picture of a hip guy playing the bongos. Derick always had a great sense of humor.
Joeann Schoenman (Matthew)
Dereck was one of my best friends through junior high and some of high school. He was a dear sweet guy. He was very smart, funny, and kind. Based on what I know now (education) I think he was suffering a bi-polar existence.
We called it manic depressive then, however, he did not go to extreme highs but did go to the deep lows.
He might have been one of the reasons I studied Psychology at Sacrament State. (That and my own need to know what the heck was going on).
I still miss him.
joeann edmonds-matthew aka Schoenman
Laura (Mary) Doyle
I knew Derrick and his family from the time I could first walk and talk, We used to visit them in MIll Valley when I was really little, and then I was delighted when the Skaggs family moved to Sacramento when Derrick was about 9 years old. I recall him sitting behind me in Mrs. Druse's Gr. 6 classroom at Crocker. He always drew the best cartoon figures.
At Cal, Derick and I callled each other "cuz"--we were distantly related through his mother and my father. I will always remember his first suicide attempt, by overdose, in Gr. 8, I believe it was. i called my Dad, who called his Dad, and they went and found him in the park and took him to hospital. I think you're right on in your diagnosis, Joanne. And knowing and loving Derick was probably one of the key reasons I went on to study Child Psychiatry--and tried to help other "Dericks" through my entire career
Derick and I went our separate ways durong and after high school. I heard from my Mom via his Mom that he died in a car accident many years ago. I am sorry that i wasn't a better friend to him during those years--and sorry that he never got the help he needed, But it's apparent from these notes that he affected a lot of people's lives. He was a sweet, generous and funny guy.
.
John Sertich
Joanne and Mary,
As you both may remember, George Schoenberger and I both lived on 11th Ave and Derrick more or less lived on 11th Ave. I met Derrick when I went to Cal Jr High from Holy Spirit and along with Robin Forbes and George we all became good friends playing basketball at Cal Jr. High on weekends, etc. I remember the incident with the pills very well and have often wondered what happened to Derrick. I am sorry to hear of his demise in a car accident but now I know.
John
Scott Rodda
I knew Derick in Junior High and High School. I learned to swim in his pool and remember feeling like I was drowning at one point. I went on a vacation with him and his family to Clear Lake and had a great time. We played football in the park between his house and Freeport Blvd. We called it Skaggs field. One year we both competed in the Sac City yo-yo contest and he won and I was runner up. I was sad to hear that he died so young, I had always hoped to see him at a reunion.
Scott
John Bodenhamer
The story's that can be told about Derick will never be forgotten. Tom and I ran across Derick at Crocker and Cal Jr high playing basketball and the card games and the conversation all about girls and sports.John
David Fouche
Remembering Derick
When Derick and his family moved to Sacramento around 1956 we met in Mrs. Johnson's fifth grade class. Our friendship began as a friendly rivalry over who was the best artist. I had enjoyed a reputation of being a pretty good cartoonist and suddenly there was this new kid who was a real challenge with pencil and brush.
The game was on.
Through junior high and high school we continued our friendly competition and our relationship grew to include art, philosophy and most importantly music.
Derick and I worked together at the original Tower Records store on Broadway, at a wholesale music company in Sacramento and in 1969 we helped open two record stores in Honolulu,Hawaii. During these years we bacame fast friends, sharing the intimate details and experiences of our lives as good friends always do.
As I persued a life as an artist and entertainer we moved apart but always managed to keep in touch. Derick worked for a time in Yosemite and I was living and working in Oregon but we somehow managed to meet up in Sacramento when I came down to see my parents and he to see his mother.
The last time we got together at his mother's place he showed me some recent drawings he had done and I was happy to see that his his skills had continued to evolve and develop. Derick always had a keen gift of artistic insight and a hunger to continue to grow and push his artistic boundaries further. Like every gifted artist he was never completely satisfied.
Through the prejudice of foggy past recollections we may think we can define problems or flaws in the psyche or the character of someone we knew. These judgements,no matter how earnest, are always flawed. I choose to remember my old friend, not to try and define his deficiencies, and in so doing count the treasure of having such a good friend.
Adieu mon ami, adieu
David Fouche