On Wednesday August 7, 2024, Derek Allan Brown, beloved husband, father, father-in-law, “gampa”, uncle and friend, passed away at age 80. He died peacefully at home surrounded by his family after a long battle with multiple illnesses. He is survived by his wife Muriel van Lierop, daughters Amanda (Chris) and Juliana (Yervant), and grandsons River and Emmett.

Muriel and Derek got married October 24, 1980. They spent nearly 44 happy years side by side, raising their daughters, supporting each other, and laughing together. He was a caring and devoted husband and father who enjoyed spending time with his family playing games, going for walks or listening lovingly. He will be missed, so very much.

Derek had a special fondness for music, especially to play or dance to. He obtained a degree in Music from University of California, Santa Barbara just for the love of it. As a child, his grandparents told him he had to stop practising piano to get some fresh air. He played flute in the Northdale Concert Band and viola in various orchestras including the North York Concert Orchestra for several decades up until March of 2020. As of July 1977 he was the violist in a string quartet with Esther, John and Denis who continue to be dear friends to this day. His daughters followed in his footsteps, and the three of them played music together as a trio at many family functions.

Equal to his passion for music was Derek’s love of riding his bicycle. Told to wait two weeks before biking again after he had surgery to have a stent, he only waited for a week. He had ridden his bike every day, and he wasn’t going to stop just because a doctor said so. Starting at age 29 Derek exercised every morning and also enjoyed walking while taking the time to smell the roses. He loved gardening and to visit gardens, in line with his care for the environment. Derek was reducing, reusing and even recycling before it went mainstream.

These are only the top two of a long list of interests. Derek was endlessly curious, including about languages, etymology, math, science, history, the environment and current affairs, which explain his over 20 bookcases overflowing with books. He was a faithful newspaper reader and spent time daily on the crossword. His favourite card game was Bridge, but he also enjoyed “Oh Phooey” and Cribbage.

Derek practised law for over 50 years, primarily at the City of Toronto. It was a job that allowed him to hone his mastery of language. Everyone who spoke to Derek was treated to his politeness and his sense of humour.

The Celebration of Life will be livestreamed on August 24th starting at 9:30 a.m. The link will appear above, beside Derek's portrait, during that time. The recording can be found under the media tab above as of August 26th.

In loving memory of Derek, donations can be made to the North York Harvest Food Bank. Direct link is under the donation tab above.