Hi everyone, my name is Kathy. I've organized this GoFundMe on behalf of Kelli, Derrick’s wife, and their family. The message below was written in Kelli’s voice to share their story in her own words. I’m simply helping to facilitate this fundraiser so Kelli can focus on her family and healing.

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On Saturday, December 13th, my beloved husband Derrick passed away unexpectedly. While he had been managing health concerns over the past couple of years, his health had recently improved and our family was hopeful for the future. Sadly, Derrick’s heart gave out, no doubt because it was so full of love for everyone around him. Derrick was a proud veteran, a dedicated entrepreneur, and a hardworking doctoral student who never stopped striving to build a better life and example for our family.

Derrick leaves behind me, his loving wife, eight beautiful children ages 31 to 6, as well as six precious grandchildren and our loyal pit bull. In our home, we have our 7 and 6 year-old sons, our 26-year-old daughter, her partner, and their three daughters. Even with so much love under one roof, our home feels unbearably empty without Derrick.

As a family, we are heartbroken and overwhelmed as we try to navigate the sudden loss of our beloved husband, father, and provider. After retiring from the military, Derrick poured his energy into building his own business and later into pursuing his doctoral degree, determined to keep growing and to show our children the power of education and hard work. In recent years, he supported our household through his VA Disability and Military Retirement income, and his passing has left an immediate financial gap.

I am also dealing with health challenges that prevent me from working right now. Because Derrick’s income came from VA Disability and Military Retirement, I do not expect to receive any replacement income for the next few months, until his retirement and Social Security benefits for our younger children begin.

This GoFundMe has been created by our village to help us cover essential living expenses and immediate costs related to Derrick’s passing. Any contribution, no matter the amount, will help keep a stable home for our children and grandchildren while we grieve, heal, and wait for critical benefits to begin.

Thank you for reading, sharing, and supporting our family in honor of Derrick’s life, love, and legacy.