James Marion Derrick, 77, of Chapin, SC was born May 9, 1943 in Chapin, SC and passed away on Saturday, September 5, 2020. He was the son of the late Ellis B. and Carolyn Eleazer Derrick and grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. Bill Eleazer and the late Mr. and Mrs. Ernest B. Derrick.
Mr. Derrick is survived by his sons, Jonathan Derrick (Lisa), Matthew Derrick (Alana) and Daniel Derrick (Tressie), all of Chapin; former wife, Cynthia B. Epps of Chapin; grandchildren, Cooper, Landon, Keelan, Neva Jean, Adley, and Lacey Rose Derrick; a sister, Lavenia D. Hentz (Edwin) of Chapin; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Mr. Derrick was predeceased by infant son, Joshua Aaron Derrick.
Mr. Derrick graduated from Chapin High School in 1961 and then attended the University of South Carolina School of Accounting. He was a veteran of the US Army and served as a Dixie Youth Baseball Coach for all of his sons. He was an All-American pitcher at Chapin High School and earned several MVPs pitching for Newberry American Legion Post 24. His teammates knew him best as “Huckleberry”. He worked in Business Administration within the retail sector for more than three decades and then 18 years with the US Postal Service in Lexington. He enjoyed fishing and watching all sporting events. He was also a lifetime Gamecock fan and was very proud to have all of his sons build homes on the family land.
A graveside service will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 12, 2020 at Bethel Lutheran Church Cemetery, the Rev. John Wertz presiding. Memorials may be made to Bethel Lutheran Church, P.O. Box 367, White Rock, SC 29177 or to Landon’s Hope Foundation at www.landonshope.org.
