My prayers for your family. Mr. Derbyshire was my geometry teacher for two years and he graciously passed me so I could graduate in 1985 from Elmhurst High. He was always kind with a dry sense of humor and patient! I am a high school teacher now and model much of my teaching on the kind methods he and others showed me as a student.  He is remembered often in the stories I share with my students about my high school experiences. Thank you Mr. D!
Elena (Nesler) Ash, Tucson AZ

I am so very sorry to hear of Bill’s passing. 
I volunteered with Bill at The Embassy Theatre. He was definitely an asset to the theatre for many years. He was very helpful when someone was new at volunteering. We sure did miss him not being there the past couple years.
He was a very kind and gentle man. We had fun talks about various things and we both liked feeding the birds. 
I feel he had a wonderful life , also great  family and friends.  Will be greatly missed. 
Cheryl Stromski. 
 

I grew up as Bill's neighbor kid.  Remembering ice skating on the makeshift flooded pond in the Derbyshire side yard.  Remembering high school band with Martha playing our trombones.  I thank our God for all the blessed memories, but so sorry for your loss, Martha.  Kathy Julien Agley 

Just saw Mr Derbyshire’s passing.  I was a student of his in the early 1970’s at Elmhurst.  I loved his geometry class. I also was an avid baseball fan and kept the books for him and Elmhurst Trojans. Wonderful person, teacher, and coach. His family has my sympathy.   
Hollie ( Dafforn) Hormann 

Mr. Derbyshire was a man of distinction.  As a coach in the Wildcat League, he taught me to be a mentor, a friend and a teacher to the youth in Fort Wayne.   Beyond that, he taught me life lessons.  Lessons that I apply daily like to lead by example, remembering to smile and that punctuality matters.  He touched countless lives through the Wildcat League - both players and coaches. 

I am so sorry for your loss.  He will be missed. 


Mr. Derbyshire was never a teacher directly to me and yet he knew me and supported me throughout my years at Elmhurst. I was so very surprised when he knew me the second I walked into Blackhawk Christian to work. He was an educator to his very core. Rest well good and faithful servant!! 

So sorry to hear, You have our deepest sympathy Martha and family 💕 !!

I vividly remember interviewing with Coach Derbyshire as a 14 year old high school student for a Wildcat position more than 40 years ago.  He knew i could take a joke, so he dished it out to me very liberally in that interview!    Incredibly kind man with a great sense of humor and a legend in the Fort Wayne baseball community.    

My son, nearly 30 years later, also worked in the Wildcat program and often spoke about  how much he loved being around Derb.   

Derb made Fort Wayne a better place and impacted so many players and coaches over the years.  He will be greatly missed.    He made a difference in this world. 

Sam Talarico, Jr.
and George Talarico 


My deepest condolences to his family and to the Wildcat Organization. Mr. Derbyshire was President of the Wildcat Organization for almost all the years I worked there. He was a wonderful leader who cared deeply for his staff and the organization as a whole. I will never forget when he took the time to reach out to me to offer me a position mid-season even though I was still in Spain on study abroad. His end-of-year chats with his staff often included talking about life plans and he was genuinely interested in and rooting for us as young people. His example of service and leadership is something I still carry with me today. 



Mr. Derbyshire was a colleague of mine at Elmhurst High School from 1989-92. As a 27 year old special education teacher it was my first high school assignment. Derbyshire’s  love of young people and math was evident! He was an amazing person who influenced many students and colleagues over the years! Rest in peace “Coach “. Prayers for all those who knew and loved him.

Coach Derbyshire was a great man, great teacher, a really good coach. It was such an honor to be associated with Coach Derbyshire, Whether in the classroom or on the football field coach always brought out the best in his players and his students. The world is now officially a worse place without Coach Derbyshire. Rest in peace Coach 

My deepest sympathy to Coach Derbyshire's family. I had the privilege to learn baseball under his leadership in Wildcat. I also kept a great friendship with him through my playing days, through a short coaching experience, and whenever I saw him over the last many years.  A great man I was proud to call 'friend'. 

May God give you peace.

Kent Howard

I was a student of Mr. Derbyshire’s at Elmhurst high school. I always looked forward to his class not because of the love for Algebra but because he always had a smile on his face for you and such encouraging words. He once asked the class if anyone knew CPR because of the, “ love bites” on my neck. lol. I was so embarrassed but it was all in good fun. He will be missed dearly by all who knew him and had the privilege of him being their teacher. 

My condolences to the family. Mr. Derbyshire was my Wildcat coach. Taught me so much about baseball and myself. He unlocked that competitive fire I still have to this day. 

Bill Lichtsinn

He was a great teacher, coach, administrator, and mentor. I was fortunate enough to be a colleague during my years at Elmhurst High School.
The influence he had on so many students, young athletes, and teachers was immense!
My condolences to his family.

So sorry for your loss. Mr. Derbyshire, as he was known to me, was my 8th grade math teacher as well as one of my coaches at Weisser Park Jr. High School. He was one of my favorite teachers and coaches. I had not seen him since 8th grade (I am 73 now) but ran into him at Don's Barber Shop about a month ago. What a pleasure to see him after all this time. We talked and he remembered me.  He was one of the good ones. He will be remembered and missed

Bill was a fellow teacher, coach, dear friend and mentor to me over 50 years. His “Bob Newhart” sense of humor always kept you guessing and lightened stressful situations at school, on the field, and while working with Wildcat Baseball. His love of the Lord was always evident in his life and he demonstrated God’s love daily. Derby’s passing is a loss for me and many others. A Biblical passage (Matthew 25:14-23)  conveys how I would describe his life. 
Well done good and faithful servant. You are now “safe at home”  with your Heavenly Father.

As a longtime high school Athletic’s Director in Fort Wayne, myself, Bill Derbyshire was a hero! Such a model for the rest of us, what, with his successful leadership of Elmhurst’s  athletic department, his great impact on high school players as baseball coach at Elmhurst, and most notably, his selfless service, for so many decades, on behalf of the young people of the wildcat baseball organization. Generations of youngsters were introduced to this beautiful game through the love and passion that Bill showed for it. We will miss him dearly. I only wish I had scheduled that next lunch that we could have shared…rest in peace, my dear friend. 

Ken Harkenrider

Martha--We are so sorry to hear of your loss.  You and Bill were a joy to travel with.  Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Land Cruise Travelers

Bobbie and Mike Jensen

May Mr. Derbyshire rest in eternal peace.  What a nice teacher a t Elmhurst.  RIP.  (Class of 85)

My thoughts are with Mr Derbyshire's family today.  He was one of the best math teachers I had and was such a wonderful person.  Truly a role model of how to interact with others.

My condolences to the family. I had Mr Derbyshire for math at both Kekionga and Elmhurst. Excellent teacher and a wonderful man.

Best coach/teacher  I ever had the privilege of playing for!  Bill & Martha came to my dads viewing a few years back and I told him I always used his seven “P’s” philosophy over the years with my staff which was Proper Prior Preparation Prevents P… Poor Performance. Coach was always prepared and made baseball as fun and enjoyable a sport as any I played. Didn’t hurt that we won a lot! Coach will be missed. Sorry I can’t be there in person to pay my respects but am out of state thru next Wed. My condolences on the loss of a great man. 
Dave Campbell 

Sincere Condolences for the entire family and friends. I never had Coach Derby in class but was with him everyday for 4 years on the baseball field.  We made a lot of great memories beating teams around the state.  I’m forever grateful for the skill sets he taught us both on the field and off the field.  I remember our daily practices and games in college and so much of what we learned under Coach Derby and Coach Tilker made the college experience much more easy to adapt.  I truly could not have had a better Coach! 
I will never forget the lesson learned during run down or  (pickle practice). The permanent black marker with the letter “R” on top my right hand.  Always transition to the right he said :). They’re so many other lessons learned.  I taught my children this and my grandchildren will learn the same.  So glad we spoke on the phone and had an opportunity to catch up. Thank you Coach and you are missed! 

Martha, Bill, and Bob-

Jayne and I grieve with you at Bill’s passing. I so enjoyed catching up with him  at family gatherings. Such a kind and gentle spirit, with an admirable love for baseball . We are praying that God’s grace and peace are deeply felt by you all.

Doug 

Coach  Derbyshire was such a great man. He meant a great deal to me and encouraged  me to go into education! He was a support while my father was sick! I so appreciated all he did for me from Wildcat through my time as a teacher.

OBITUARY

William E. Derbyshire

11 July, 1940 – 23 May, 2024

D.O. McComb & Sons Funeral Homes - Covington Knolls

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