Derek was born in Ramsgate then the family moved and he went to school in Walton on Thames. He had several jobs before joining Plastic Coatings Limited where he stayed for 34 years. During this time he travelled extensively with his family, working in Farnham, Harpenden, Holland and finally Guildford. He was widowed in 1980 and brought up Adrian and Philip on his own until he married Sue in 1984 where together with her two sons Kevin and Neil, they spent 36 years together in West Byfleet.
After Derek retired as MD of Plastic Coatings, he had several interests including, driving (which was his passion) around the country delivering cars to various locations, the West Byfleet Residents Association, and the West Byfleet Investment Club. He also changed from being just a member of the Institute of Corrosion to being an active member of the London Branch, where he helped organise the many social activities over a number of years. He was made an Honorary Life Member of ICorr in 2002.