Derek Alexander Blood

Derek Alexander Blood, 48, of Winter Park, CO passed away unexpectedly due to health complications May 31, 2022. Derek was born in Chattanooga, TN September 21, 1973, the younger of two sons, to George Austin Blood, Jr. & Dorothy Hope McMurray Blood of Lyons, CO. He moved around in his early years: Frankfurt, Germany; Paris, France (2X); Denver, CO; New Fairfield, CT; Danville, CA; finishing his high school years in Olympia, WA. He played youth & high school football. During his youth, Derek learned his love of international travel visiting many European countries & cultures with his family. He received his BA in English from Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA in 1996. During his second year at Western his football career ended with a torn ACL. Though a great disappointment, he remained an avid fan cheering on his old teammates & never missing opening weekend college football.

Derek was an outgoing & charismatic young man with a voracious zest for life who made friends easily with all he met. He spent his career in the Information Technology world working for IBM, Gartner Group, Qwest, Oracle (14 years) and Salesforce. He attained unsurpassed achievements in sales exceeding objectives & bringing people together for the benefit of employers & customers alike. He kept in touch often with friends from high school, university, & business associates (customers & employers). He genuinely loved them & cared for them as individuals.

Outside of work Derek was an avid skier (more often in backcountry & deep powder), mountain & street bike rider & rock tumbler. He loved camping & hiking the high mountains including summitting several Rocky Mountain peaks. At those times he was always accompanied by one or more of his favorite wooly pets: his dogs. They were “Rowdy” the Malamute (d. 2010), “Bear” the Rottweiler (d. 2017); his own Akita “Yumi”; Niki’s Rottweiler “Luger” and his parents Samoyed “Anya.” Anyone who knew Derek could tell you his dogs were some of the loves of his life.

In addition to mountain life Derek loved the ocean & he & Niki took up scuba diving in places such as Truk, Palau, HI, Belize, and Honduras. In Honduras his generosity manifested itself when he provided laptops (during Covid) to the children of a native Honduran whom he had befriended. His adventuresome nature took Niki & him to Japan, Egypt (with her parents), France (with his parents) & a week in several European cities (with Niki & his cousin Hailey – a trip Derek gave her as a high school graduation present).

In 2016 his life changed dramatically when he suffered a traumatic brain injury due to an ATV accident. In the month prior he had developed type 1 diabetes. The TBI & bodily nerve damage affected some of his ability to function as before. Subsequent shoulder surgeries were painful. The diabetes was a continual problem. Removal of his thyroid due to cancer he survived. In all this he struggled to trust his Heavenly Father by leaning on his son Jesus. It wasn’t easy. He pressed on with ups & downs, trying to understand the battles in his life. The last 10 months of his life Jesus gave him tangible victories. In many of his business dealings he would always call home & ask his mom & dad to pray. “I’ve got a big deal Mom; you and Dad need to pray!" His Heavenly Father always blessed him. Derek, precious & loved by many will be terribly missed. All will treasure his memory.

Derek is survived by his patient, loving & gracious longtime companion Nicole Westbrook (his parents’ daughter-in-love); his parents Austin & Hope Blood; his brother George Austin Blood, III of CA; 2 Nieces Madeleine & Faith Blood; Uncles and Aunts: Larry (Pris) Blood of St Johns, FL; Laurie Lee McMurray of Dayton, NV; Bonnie McMurray (Bob) Mobley of Mobile, AL; 2-1st Cousins: Alan and Bryan Blood; 2-1st Cousins-Once removed Hailey Blood & her brother Reid Blood & Hailey’s daughter Jesse; all of Jacksonville FL.

A celebration of life for Derek will be held Thursday, June 23, 2022 at 11:00am at Calvary Bible Church - Boulder Campus, 3245 Kalmia Avenue, Boulder, Colorado 80301, followed by a reception at 12:00pm 303-442-4384; https://calvarybible.com

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to: Flint Animal Cancer Center https://csuanimalcancercenter.org or Grand County Pet Pals https://gcpetpals.org or your local humane society or your favorite charity.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.howemortuary.com for the Blood family.