Derrick Ditchburn

Derrick lived a life full of love and with a deep connection to nature.

Predeceased by his beloved wife Sheila (nee Jones), Derrick will be greatly missed by his sons Stephen (Calgary) and Tony (Toronto), along with Tony’s wife Penny, and step grandson Paul and his wife Katie.

Born and raised in Dormanstown, England, Derrick excelled at football, cricket and swimming. When he was 17, he met and fell in love with Sheila Jones, and they married in 1955. They started their life together in Malta, where Derrick undertook his national service. For many years after they reminisced fondly on those wonderful years.

After having the boys, the family emigrated to Canada in 1970, quickly becoming enamoured with their new home. After five years in Winnipeg and some time in Calgary, Derrick and Sheila settled in lovely Victoria in 1981, where they took immense pride in creating a stunning garden.

Sunday evenings were often spent square dancing with friends, sharing laughter and mastering new ‘calls’. Their involvement with square dancing led them to visit many new places and they started to embrace travelling, with Bryce Canyon, Hawaii and Alaska being amongst their favourite places.

Derrick’s greatest passion was nature. An avid photographer, he would often ‘pack up the van’ and go to northern Vancouver Island, interior British Colombia, northern Washington State (and many places in between) to take pictures of wildflowers and mushrooms and anything else that drew his keen eye. His love of photography and nature led him to start an on-line nature website (Dereila Nature Inn) and monthly newsletter “Whispers”, with issue 303 being sent out shortly after his passing. He loved working on the newsletter and website, and he greatly enjoyed the feedback from the readers.

Another of Derrick’s joys was the simple act of sitting at his kitchen table, listening to music, and watching the birds that visited his deck. Over the years, he developed a special bond with these feathered friends.

Derrick loved his family and he loved nature. As he would agree, he had a great life.