Derek James Schippa

The first thing you might notice when you see Derek Schippa is his million-dollar grin. You might also notice that he was very handsome, but you would definitely notice his infectious smile, the mischievous twinkle in his eyes, and his laugh - a laugh that was usually the result of some joke he was recounting to a group of people. At any given gathering, if there was a group of people laughing together at a story, there was a strong chance that Derek was the one telling the tale. Even when things were a little tough for Derek, he never lost that smile.

He wasn't all jokes though - Derek loved people for whoever they were, welcoming anyone he met with open arms. He was known to help those who were down on their luck, even going out of his way to buy dinner for strangers he met in his travels. He had a deep relationship with his family, including his twin brother. In fact, he and his twin memorized each other's information JUST IN CASE one of them was in trouble and needed help from the other. Derek's heart never held a grudge, and it was truly made of gold.

With a heart that kind, it's no surprise that Derek also had a soft spot for animals. Throughout his life he had a myriad of animals, mostly dogs, who were his furry companions. Pugs, puggles, Boston chihuahuas, and even a cat shared a home with Derek at different points in his life. Under his roof or out in the world, animals would gravitate to Derek, as if they knew he was a friend.

No stranger to hard work, Derek had an attention to detail that was unrivaled. In his home projects, he sometimes would need to go buy more material because he needed to get the cut just right. He always had the greenest lawn with the straightest lines, and his cars when he was done detailing them were showroom ready. He worked at Lamar for many years where he got to travel the world for projects. Working for MVP, he was entrusted to facility maintenance, making sure everything from the pool to the utilities were running in top shape.

Even though he was only with us for 39 brief years, he lived each of those years to the fullest, and our lives are all a little better because he was a part of it. We will never forget him - whenever we see a Volkswagen, have a sip of a Jim Beam and Sprite, or spend time on the water on the pontoon, we will be reminded of the joy you brought us. A lot of people can be described as "one-of-a-kind," but it was really true with Derek - a one-of-a-kind man who we will hold forever in our hearts.

We will be celebrating Derek's life at a later date, when the weather is warmer.