Derek Gefroh

After a courageous battle with cancer, Derek passed away peacefully on August 22, 2026, at the age of 50. He is no longer suffering and is in the hands of God.

Derek was generous and thoughtful, often putting the needs of others before his own. He was intelligent and witty; even during his last days, he sought to provide comfort to his family by making us laugh. He had a quiet wisdom that made people trust him and seek his advice. He was hardworking and deeply responsible, with extraordinary patience for everyone he interacted with. Beneath all of this, he had remarkable inner and physical strength, with his faith providing the foundation for his resilience throughout his journey.

Derek was born on July 15, 1976, in Bismarck, ND, to LeRoy and Eleanor Gefroh. He grew up in Watertown, SD. His formative years were typical of a small-town upbringing. He had the freedom to explore and do the things boys do. In a home filled with love, the family created special traditions around food and holidays which Derek cherished and carried on with his own family. He developed his handyman skills during this time helping his dad with various projects around their home. He was always surrounded by music, games, and sports.

The oldest of three brothers, Derek was a role model, friend and the biggest supporter of his siblings Nathan and Josh. They shared many boisterous laughs and good times through the years, whether they were playing cards late into the night or enjoying a day of yard games and grilling.

Striving for excellence was innate to his character. He was on the debate team from 1990–1994 and was a national qualifier. He graduated as valedictorian, and his classmates still remember his memorable valedictorian speech years later. In spite of his academic and professional accomplishments, what he treasured and was most proud of was his family and the many adventures they had together.

He attended the University of Minnesota, where he earned a B.S. in Aerospace and Engineering Mechanics. He went on to earn an M.S. in Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering from the University of Illinois and an M.B.A. from the University of Washington. During his academic years, Derek pursued research in aerospace engineering and gained early experience with NASA.

Derek went on to have a dedicated career at Boeing, leading teams across a variety of product, engineering, and innovation areas. He spent the early part of his career in Flight Operations, leading teams of engineers and supporting airlines across the globe. He later transitioned to digital transformation, where he led myBoeingFleet, Boeing’s primary digital tool for airline operators around the world, before heading up a business unit within Boeing’s Landing Gear Exchange program. Along the way, he formed lasting friendships with classmates and colleagues who remained an important part of his life.

Derek and Eva met on the first day of college as a group of engineering hopefuls ready to find their way in the world. Derek asked Eva on their first date on Valentine’s Day of their sophomore year with a crayon-drawn sign of himself with bright blue eyes and arms stretched out saying, “I like you this much.” After graduating and living separately in Illinois and Philadelphia, Derek proposed to Eva on a trip to Zion National Park under the starry night sky. They married in July 2000 and moved to the Seattle area, where they raised their two children, Elise and Elliott, born in 2004 and 2006. Together they built a life filled with love, partnership, growth, adventure, travel, friendships, and the everyday joys of raising a family. They found happiness and contentment in the life they created together.

Derek loved being a father. From the moment he held his children for the first time, he was attentive to their every need. He coached and participated in soccer and dance activities, later cheering them on at tennis matches and cross-country meets. He was always so proud of his kids and so proud to be their dad.

Derek found great joy in being outdoors and sharing adventures with his family. Together, we took the kids hiking and backpacking, exploring ocean seastacks and tide pools, swimming in high alpine lakes, and climbing mountains to take in views of snow-capped volcanoes and the world below. Running became another way to explore, from half marathons to trail and city runs; his enthusiasm for running inspired the whole family to become runners.

Family and friendship were at the center of Derek’s life. The families from the kids’ preschool years became close friends, with annual camping trips and Chinese New Year celebrations. Derek treasured his annual MLK weekend with college friends from Minnesota, playing hockey, Sega, and simply enjoying their friendship. He was eager to help neighbors and enjoyed gathering to play games, even beating everyone at Dominoes during his final weeks.

Derek enjoyed traveling, visiting 21 countries over the years, with trips to Kazakhstan, Chile, and Taiwan leaving particularly lasting impressions. More than anything, he cherished time with family, traveling to South Dakota, Minnesota, and Los Angeles to be together. As an uncle, Derek connected with his nieces and nephews with his wit and kindness.

Music was perhaps the deepest thread running through Derek’s life. It began with his dad singing and playing guitar and grew into a lifelong passion for music and creativity. Derek made mixtapes and CDs for every person and every occasion. He had a running joke of measuring the cost of things by how many CDs he could have bought instead. He taught himself to play guitar, then began making his own sound-effect pedals and painstakingly crafting his own electric guitars, each a work of art. Music was at the core of his being. Every occasion, every meaningful word, seemed to have a song to go with it.

Derek was diagnosed with ALK-positive stage 4 lung cancer in 2022. Our families were devastated by the news. Derek fought a hard battle, enduring five lines of treatment, including chemotherapy, a clinical trial, and radiation to his brain, spine, and bones. The side effects of treatment and the neurological decline caused by the disease were incredibly difficult, but he always bore them with quiet strength, determination, and an unwavering will to live. He never wanted to miss a moment of this beautiful life.

Through this journey, Derek continued to live and, in many ways, to thrive. We met lifelong friends through the ALK Positive support group, experienced a deeper love through the vows we made to each other—“till death do us part”—and learned lessons about life that transcend ordinary, everyday living. In the end, through the grace of God, Derek found acceptance and peace, knowing that his precious family and the life he loved were in God’s hands. Receiving the Anointing of the Sick and the Last Rites brought him comfort and the hope of eternal life.

Derek would want his friends and family to remember that, through his journey and his death, his greatest wish was for us to continue to love and embrace one another and to live our lives to the fullest.

Derek is survived by his wife, Eva; children, Elise and Elliott; parents, LeRoy and Eleanor; brothers, Josh and his wife Anna, Nathan and his wife Heidi; parents-in-law, Steve and Sue Fan; brother-in-law, Ayres and his wife Christine; and nieces and nephews, Mila, Colette, Jane, Eli, Charlotte, and Noah.

A Catholic Funeral Mass will be held at St. Madeleine Sophie in Bellevue, WA, on Friday, September 11, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. Friends and family are welcome to attend. A casual gathering will follow at the church.

St. Madeleine Sophie Catholic Parish

4400 130th Pl SE

Bellevue, WA 98006

In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to consider making a donation to ALK Positive, Inc., an organization dedicated to fighting for a cure. One day, when that day comes, Derek will be in the front row cheering from heaven.