Derek attended Roosevelt High and Sanger High School, and worked for Arrow Auto Parts, in customer service. In 2002, he married Earnestine Norman. They were married for 18 years, and there were no children in this union.
Derek was a member of Family World Harvest COGIC, under the Pastoral-ship Herbert T. Seward Jr., his brother whom he was very proud of. He was a musician for many years in the church. He attended Sunday school, Bible study, loved to pray, and do mission work.
Derek didn’t meet any strangers, though he had many challenges, but when he received the Lord into his life, he did the work that God had called him to do. He truly knew what it was to do the Lord’s work. The scripture says: Go into the highway and hedges and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled, and he did just that. No matter where he was, rather, in the hospital or outside the hospital, he witnessed to the people about God, invited them to church, and also brought them to church.
Derek loved the Lord, his mother, and all his siblings with all of his heart. On Monday nights, during the prayer hour, he would pray for them telling them that he loved them all. Derek fought the good fight, and he finished his course, he kept the faith. He wanted to hear the Lord say “well done, thy good and faithful servant.”
He was preceded in death by his father, Herbert Seward Sr. He leaves to cherish his wife Earnestine Seward, mother Mary-Helen Seward-Patton and husband Herman; three sisters, Robbie Seward, Debbie Seward, and Tamara Seward, all of Fresno; five brothers, Herbert Seward Jr. and wife Joyce of Fresno, Tommie Seward of Fresno, Michael Seward and wife Abbie of Stockton, Lawrence Lane and wife Betty of Hayward, and Kenny Seward of Merced; and a host of nieces, nephews, and friends.
