derek

I met Derek when I worked at Multiactive Software (now Maximizer), back in the late 90’s. It was my first job in a corporate environment, first cubicle, first time in a tall building downtown … to say I was ‘green’ would be an understatement. 

I started with the organization in the sales department, hoping I’d be able to work the system and land a job in marketing or communications. I did, and when I joined the communications team, I met Derek. Derek was a tech geek, through and through, and I had no business working in technology. I knew nothing about technology, other than it was a growing industry that I wanted to get in on. I remember thinking Derek was so much more together and way farther ahead then me. He was great at what he did, he was expecting the birth of his first child, and he was busy starting another venture of his own – he was impressive, even then. He felt strongly about the work our company was doing, and when he penned letters to various publications on behalf of the organization, he’d sign my name as the writer (since I was the one in communications and should have been writing them). For years after, I would Google my name and smile that these tech-industry letters appeared, making me look so much smarter on the subject of CRM then I ever was.

I lost touch with many of my Multiactive friends when the company downsized and I and left Vancouver, though I managed to keep in touch with a few of them over facebook and blogs - Derek’s blog for sure. His very public and very honest life with cancer has been difficult to read, and like so many others have, I’ll call him inspirational and brave. Derek lost his life to cancer this week at the age of 41, and leaves behind 2 young daughters, a wife he adored, his parents, and countless friends – both the in-person and virtual varieties. From his last blog entry, which he had his wife and friends post upon his death:

"The world, indeed the whole universe, is a beautiful, astonishing, wondrous place. There is always more to find out. I don't look back and regret anything, and I hope my family can find a way to do the same".

True to his love of the written word, his dying wish was that people stop putting two spaces after a period. So if you’re still doing that (why, why are you still doing that?), this is as good a reason as any to stop. Do it for Derek.

I won’t say ‘rest in peace’ because he didn’t believe in that. I guess that just leaves goodbye.