Alfred James Derby

           Alfred James Derby, 86, of Colbert, Washington passed away August 12, 2019, of a spinal cord injury resulting from a fall down stairs at home.  He was born in Seattle, WA on July 14, 1933.  Al graduated from Walla Walla High School in 1951.  He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Zoology in 1955 and his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1959, both from the University of Washington.  He completed his internship at Minneapolis General Hospital, where he met Marlyn Ann Blauert.  They were married on August 27, 1960 at Zion Lutheran Church in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.  The Air Force deployed him to Guam shortly after the wedding, and the couple lived there 1960-1962.  He completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Letterman General Hospital in San Francisco 1962-1965.  He served at Fairchild Air Force Base 1965-1968.  After his honorable discharge, he went into private practice in Spokane until he retired in 2005.  He and Marlyn raised two children, Lynn and Lance. 

            He had a strong faith in Jesus and lived his faith in his deeds.  Active in the Pro-Life movement, he donated hundreds of hours of free medical care to mothers in need.  He built a log cabin using trees he harvested from the land in the 1970’s.  This cabin and subsequent “projects” remained his favorite hobby throughout the rest of his life.  He also enjoyed backpacking, hunting, snowmobiling, fine wines, and falling asleep watching the Mariners.  He particularly found satisfaction in activities with a tangible yield, such as logging, woodworking, and household repairs.  His favorite tools were his chainsaw and his bulldozer.  Even gnarly from arthritis, his hands were amazingly productive.  Generous to a fault, he always wanted to help and share.

            He will always be loved and remembered by those he left behind.  He is survived by his two children: Lynn Derby Fuzak, Lance Alfred Derby, and their spouses; his grandson Aaron Fuzak; his step-grandson Andrew Fuzak; his brother C. Dean Derby; his sister-in-law Shari Corkrum Derby; and numerous nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews.  He was preceded in death by his spouse, Marlyn Derby; his parents, Clarence and Estelle Derby; and his brother, Gaynor Derby.

            In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to Life Services of Spokane https://lifeservices.org, or Teen-Aid www.teen-aid.com. 

            A visitation will be held from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm, Friday, September 6, 2019 at Hennessey Funeral Home & Crematory, 2203 N Division St, Spokane, Washington.  Memorial services will be held at 10:00 am, Saturday, September 7, 2019 at the Colbert Presbyterian Church, 4211 E Colbert Rd, Colbert, Washington.  

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Alfred James Derby, please visit our floral store.