Derek George Armsby

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  John 14 1-2

Obituary

With deep sadness, we announce the passing of Derek, who was born on June 11^th, 1936 and passed away on June 19^th, 2026 in Staines-upon-Thames.


Derek will be remembered for kindness, generosity, and the quiet ability to bring people together. Family, friends, neighbours, and colleagues all experienced the warmth and sincerity that made time spent with Derek meaningful.

Throughout life, Derek built lasting connections and touched many lives through simple acts of care, encouragement, friendship and food. Conversations, shared moments, and everyday gestures created memories that will remain with those who had the privilege of knowing Derek.

Family meant a great deal to Derek, and relationships were always nurtured with patience and devotion. Friends valued loyalty and sincerity, while colleagues appreciated dedication and a thoughtful approach to work and collaboration.

The passing of Derek leaves a space that cannot be filled. Yet the memories, lessons, and moments shared will continue to live on in the hearts of those who were fortunate to know him.

Derek will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered.

Farewell to Derek

The order of service from his funeral

Memories shared at the Funeral

Here is a copy of the memories shared by friends and family on the day.

Eulogy - read by Mandy
Derek George Armsby was born on 11th June 1936 in Finsbury, to parents George and Lilian Armsby. He grew up in Islington, North London, where the family made their home.
When Derek was 8 years old, and when Lilian was expecting their second child Raymond, they were both evacuated to Lancashire away from war-torn London. Derek has said that he and his Mum missed city life and they returned with newborn Raymond as soon as it was safe to do so!
Derek began his education in Islington; his first senior school was Barnsbury Secondary School and he then transferred to Ebury Technical School in 1949.  You won’t be surprised to hear that he had excellent school reports with phrases such as ‘works hard’, ‘very keen’ and ‘a steady worker’ repeated throughout the years.  It may however surprise you to know he consistently got his highest marks in French - I say this particularly if you have ever been on holiday to France with Derek, as his form of communicating to French speakers was mostly big hand gestures and speaking in English more loudly and slowly! 
End of Year school reports also commented on Derek being a very good athlete and we will hear more later from the family that he was an excellent sprinter and won medals with Highgate Harriers and Westminster and All England Athletics.  Achievements he was very proud of.
In August 1952, Derek began an apprenticeship with the Alliance Electrical Company. His National Service was deferred so he could complete the training, which he did in June 1957.
Derek began his 2 years of National Service in the RAF the same August in Honington where he became a Lance Corporal.  Derek loved working on the bomber planes known as the Valiant, the Vulcan and the Victor. Many times he got to fly in the planes, but disappointingly for Derek, he never got to fly them himself.
Whilst in the RAF Derek completed the first year of an electrical engineering course and, when he left, he began work as an electrician.  He continued his studies with a part time course at Hackney Technical College and then completed his studies at Borough Polytechnic gaining an HNC with distinction in electrical engineering specialising in Heat Light and Sound.  I think many of us have benefited from his skills as an electrician over the years - a quick phone call and he’d turn up with tools in hand! 
On 26th March 1966, Derek married Cathie Allan in Camberwell and they went on to have three children together Samantha, Matthew and Rebecca.
Sam was born while they were living in Kent and Matthew and Beckie were both born in Bristol where they were living for Derek’s work.
The family moved to Chesham when Beckie was 2 months old and they have fond memories of family caravan holidays around the coast, their dog Ben and even recall Derek making his own wine!
Eventually, Derek and Cathy parted ways in 1982 and, it was at a social group in 1983, that Derek met Jean for the first time. We will hear it from Jean’s perspective later in the service, but in short, Derek decided that Jean was the one for him and in the words of his old school reports, he ‘worked hard’, was ‘very keen’ and ‘steadily’ won her heart.
A blended family officially began on 22nd December 1984 when Jean and Derek got married at Staines Pentecostal Church followed by a reception on a river boat along the Thames. Derek became a step-dad to Jean’s son Matthew in their home in Virginia Water and gradually, over the years that followed, Matthew, Sam and then Beckie moved to live with their Dad and Jean.  Derek was also embraced by Jean’s family - they were fiercely loyal and protective of Jean, but thankfully Derek won their seal of approval!
Derek continued to work as an electrical engineer until his retirement, his final job working at the Palace of Westminster in the Houses of Parliament.
Although work stopped for Derek, life continued to get fuller as he became a Grandad to first Colby, Harrison, Rachel, Bevan, Samuel, Joel, Tyler and then more recently Great Grandad to Arthur and Logan.  All of whom brought him so much joy.
Retirement allowed for more of Jean and Derek’s love of traveling. I did ask Jean if he loved traveling as much as she did, but in truth, I think he just loved keeping Jean happy and sharing their life together - he’d probably have gone to the North Pole!  Holidays over the years took them to Morocco, China, Australia, New Zealand, Washington, Florida, Kenya, France, Canada, Alaska and Spain to name just a few.
Those who have known and loved Derek might agree that there are 3 fs that define his life beautifully.
The first is food. Many of us will have experienced and enjoyed his love of cooking - his legendary chocolate mousse, tasty home-made curries and delicious BBQs. 
Then there is family - Derek loved Jean, his children and grandchildren and great grandchildren and the wider family.  He was always a source of warmth to us, making us laugh and taking an interest in our lives. Celebrating birthdays together has always been important to the family and so it was very fitting that less than week before he died, Derek was able to celebrate his 90th birthday surrounded by family and close friends.
And then there is faith.  Derek may have initially come to church for Jean at the age of 46, but he quickly found faith for himself.  He once said in his testimony that ‘I found Jesus is the key that unlocks the door to a fulfilled and happy life. I have only one regret - and that is I didn’t come to know Jesus sooner!’.
Derek’s faith and Christian experience continued to grow, and over the years he moved into church leadership becoming an elder and offering wisdom and guidance to others.  Derek loved to worship and would lead services with great enthusiasm.  On his final Sunday, he made it to church (Kings Community Church) to share his 90th birthday cake and I remember looking up from the front where I was playing the keyboard and seeing him very frail physically, but still singing along to the worship song ‘You are worthy of it all’. 
Derek also preached on occasions, which we all enjoyed because he would never talk for too long, but would bring something encouraging and humorous.
Just a couple of weeks before Derek died and when his memory of short term events wasn’t good due to dementia.  My sister Sarah and I popped in to see him at home and we reminded him about how he used to lead services and speak at church.  I told him that I still remember a sermon he preached 30 years ago about life not being a sprint, but it being like a marathon obstacle race! In his sermon he encouraged us that it is all okay because, on this race, God wants to be by our side every step of the way.  In a real moment of clarity, Del looked up at me and Sarah, he nodded and said, ‘Yes, I did didn’t I’.
Derek George Armsby ran that marathon obstacle race with dignity and faithful endurance. He was an example of kindness and generosity to us all and he continued to exude joy even in his final days. 
His school report still reads true - ‘excellent work’ Derek on a life well lived.

A Tribute read by Colby
Hello everyone, firstly thank you all for coming today. It's easy to see by how many people are here today, just how loved Grandad was. For those that may not know me, my name is Colby, Derek's oldest grandchild.
Now my memory of grandad is of just that, him being a grandad. So today I thought I would talk a little bit about those memories, starting off with the excitement of going to grandad and nani's house.
Whether it would be access to Sky TV, the legendary chicken dippers, grandad's cremated BBQs or the little packets of chocolate buttons in the corner draw in the old house, its something myself and my brother Harrison always looked forward to.
Now grandad was definitely the stricter of the two when it came down to him and Nani. But did that stop us from getting what we wanted... absolutely not!
Trips to Staines for the Cinema, Pizza Hut and endlessly trying to persuade him to get us a toy, which after giving in, would instantly regret as we'd spend the next hour walking back and forth between The Entertainer and Woolworths because we couldn't make up our mind about which toy to get!
It's safe to say Grandad has always been a bit of a joker, and he was always partial to a good dad joke! I remember every Christmas thanking him for the presents he and nani Jean had got me to which he replied "why what did I get you?" Classic grandad being silly.
Although now being older, i know it's much more likely he did indeed have no idea and Nani had done all the Christmas shopping!
He really was a fantastic grandad! Smart, quick witted & loving, right up until the day he passed.
We'll all remember Grandad in different ways, but I think we'd all agree he leaves behind a family who loved him deeply. We'll miss you, we'll remember you, and we'll carry you with us always.
Love you Grandad.
A Tribute from Samantha and Beckie
Firstly, I’m going to read a tribute on behalf of my sister, Beckie.
There are so many special things I could say about my Dad. He was a loving father, a wonderful husband, and a man who truly enjoyed the good things in life — cooking, a glass of red wine, and dark chocolate.
But the one thing that stood out most for me was his sense of humour. He had a wonderfully cheeky way with people, and I know exactly where he got it from — his father, my Grandad, was just the same.
Even in the last few weeks of his life, he still managed to insult me several times — but I knew it was just his way of showing affection. That was his banter, and it never left him.
Over the years he told countless “Dad jokes” that no one laughed at… except Sandra. .
I didn’t get the chance to give him his Father’s Day card this year. It said: “My ambition in life is to be as funny as you think you are.” And that still makes me smile.

Dad, I love you, and I will never forget you. Beckie

I’m now going to read a poem that I found. It’s called Someone is missing.
Let this be a loving reminder
That someone is missing today,
Someone our hearts still hold on to,
As we travel along life's way.
Someone who made life so special,
For all those who gather here,
Someone who won't be forgotten,
But cherished from year to year.
And now, as we pause to remember,
Let us all fondly recall,
How dearly each of us loved him,
And oh, how he loved us all!

Dad, you were first rate,  one of the best.
You were kind, loving and made me laugh
So proud to have had you as my dad.
Love you always.

Words of Encouragement - from Paul Bowgett
You may have gathered today as you listen to the tributes about Derek that he was a bit of a runner in his younger days and went jogging on a regular basis. Derek also participated in other races over the years and was successful. I also understand that in 1952 Derek received the gold medal for running hundred yards in 9.4 seconds for the London and South East sports event. I must admit I’d forgotten about Derek's running career, when Jean asked me to conduct today's service and I will say this to Jean and all the family, it is a privilege and an honour to be asked to take this service today -thank you.
When Jean contacted me, the first thoughts that I felt God gave me was about running the race that we read about one Corinthians chapter 9 versus 24-26.
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who completes in the games goes on strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last for ever. Therefore, do not run like a man running aimlessly.
There is a rumour I don't think its gossip that Derek was doing his jogging at various times of the day so he could connect with Jean. The gossip is he was hiding in the woods and behind buildings running out just as Jean came along. But hey Derek was running his race to get his prize he wasn't running aimlessly he ran with purpose and got his prize which was Jean. They have been married for many years. I remember that day very clearly and the reception on the boat on the River Thames. In the scripture reading that has just been read, the apostle Paul was not talking about a hundred metre sprint or a marathon on the track he was talking about the Christian life and to run in such a way to get the prize. What is the starting line - it's the moment we put our faith in Jesus Christ and the track is the journey of obedience, service and perseverance and the finish line is when we meet Jesus face to face. How do we run well- we run with purpose-- the apostle Paul says I do not run aimlessly, so every step in our Christian Walk should be intentional-- our time, our words, our choices should move us closer to Christ likeness. Just as athletes are disciplined and train their bodies, we must train our hearts and minds through prayer, reading the Word of God, and worship and we must run with endurance. The race is not always easy-- there will be hills, there will be storms, moments of fatigue. But we keep going because the prize is worth it in the end. The prize that God gives lasts.
The World offers many crowns--success, wealth, recognition-- but they fade. The Crown that Christ offers is eternal: -- Joy of his presence, the rewards of faithfulness, and the words we long to hear-- well done good and faithful servant. I remember the time Derek led services and spoke Gods word to people and encouraged people. Derek was a faithful servant, persevered through difficult times and endured times of hardship. He may have been disappointment in his later years but now he has received his prize, he has received his crown, and he would have heard those wonderful words well done you good and faithful servant. My closing challenge is-- friends the race is on-- if you are on the track that's great if not get on the track and run the race to win. Jesus wants to come into our lives and hearts today, to give us peace, to give us joy, to give us a purpose in life and to give us eternal life. So, I encourage you to fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, and run with all our heart, all our strength and all our love for him. Amen.

Further Memories shared on the day

Tribute from Jean - read by Rachel
Derek George Armsby was born on 11th June 1936 in Finsbury, to parents George and Lilian Armsby. He grew up in Islington, North London, where the family made their home.
When Derek was 8 years old, and when Lilian was expecting their second child Raymond, they were both evacuated to Lancashire away from war-torn London. Derek has said that he and his Mum missed city life and they returned with newborn Raymond as soon as it was safe to do so!
Derek began his education in Islington; his first senior school was Barnsbury Secondary School and he then transferred to Ebury Technical School in 1949.  You won’t be surprised to hear that he had excellent school reports with phrases such as ‘works hard’, ‘very keen’ and ‘a steady worker’ repeated throughout the years.  It may however surprise you to know he consistently got his highest marks in French - I say this particularly if you have ever been on holiday to France with Derek, as his form of communicating to French speakers was mostly big hand gestures and speaking in English more loudly and slowly! 
End of Year school reports also commented on Derek being a very good athlete and we will hear more later from the family that he was an excellent sprinter and won medals with Highgate Harriers and Westminster and All England Athletics.  Achievements he was very proud of.
In August 1952, Derek began an apprenticeship with the Alliance Electrical Company. His National Service was deferred so he could complete the training, which he did in June 1957.
Derek began his 2 years of National Service in the RAF the same August in Honington where he became a Lance Corporal.  Derek loved working on the bomber planes known as the Valiant, the Vulcan and the Victor. Many times he got to fly in the planes, but disappointingly for Derek, he never got to fly them himself.
Whilst in the RAF Derek completed the first year of an electrical engineering course and, when he left, he began work as an electrician.  He continued his studies with a part time course at Hackney Technical College and then completed his studies at Borough Polytechnic gaining an HNC with distinction in electrical engineering specialising in Heat Light and Sound.  I think many of us have benefitted from his skills as an electrician over the years - a quick phone call and he’d turn up with tools in hand! 
On 26th March 1966, Derek married Cathie Allan in Camberwell and they went on to have three children together Samantha, Matthew and Rebecca.
Sam was born while they were living in Kent and Matthew and Beckie were both born in Bristol where they were living for Derek’s work.
The family moved to Chesham when Beckie was 2 months old and they have fond memories of family caravan holidays around the coast, their dog Ben and even recall Derek making his own wine!
Eventually, Derek and Cathy parted ways in 1982 and, it was at a social group in 1983, that Derek met Jean for the first time. We will hear it from Jean’s perspective later in the service, but in short, Derek decided that Jean was the one for him and in the words of his old school reports, he ‘worked hard’, was ‘very keen’ and ‘steadily’ won her heart.
A blended family officially began on 22nd December 1984 when Jean and Derek got married at Staines Pentecostal Church followed by a reception on a river boat along the Thames. Derek became a step-dad to Jean’s son Matthew in their home in Virginia Water and gradually, over the years that followed, Matthew, Sam and then Beckie moved to live with their Dad and Jean.  Derek was also embraced by Jean’s family - they were fiercely loyal and protective of Jean, but thankfully Derek won their seal of approval!
Derek continued to work as an electrical engineer until his retirement, his final job working at the Palace of Westminster in the Houses of Parliament.
Although work stopped for Derek, life continued to get fuller as he became a Grandad to first Colby, Harrison, Rachel, Bevan, Samuel, Joel, Tyler and then more recently Great Grandad to Arthur and Logan.  All of whom brought him so much joy.
Retirement allowed for more of Jean and Derek’s love of travelling. I did ask Jean if he loved travelling as much as she did, but in truth, I think he just loved keeping Jean happy and sharing their life together - he’d probably have gone to the North Pole!  Holidays over the years took them to Morocco, China, Australia, New Zealand, Washington, Florida, Kenya, France, Canada, Alaska and Spain to name just a few.
Those who have known and loved Derek might agree that there are 3 fs that define his life beautifully.
The first is food. Many of us will have experienced and enjoyed his love of cooking - his legendary chocolate mousse, tasty home-made curries and delicious BBQs. 
Then there is family - Derek loved Jean, his children and grandchildren and great grandchildren and the wider family.  He was always a source of warmth to us, making us laugh and taking an interest in our lives. Celebrating birthdays together has always been important to the family and so it was very fitting that less than week before he died, Derek was able to celebrate his 90th birthday surrounded by family and close friends.
And then there is faith.  Derek may have initially come to church for Jean at the age of 46, but he quickly found faith for himself.  He once said in his testimony that ‘I found Jesus is the key that unlocks the door to a fulfilled and happy life. I have only one regret - and that is I didn’t come to know Jesus sooner!’.
Derek’s faith and Christian experience continued to grow, and over the years he moved into church leadership becoming an elder and offering wisdom and guidance to others.  Derek loved to worship and would lead services with great enthusiasm.  On his final Sunday, he made it to church (Kings Community Church) to share his 90th birthday cake and I remember looking up from the front where I was playing the keyboard and seeing him very frail physically, but still singing along to the worship song ‘You are worthy of it all’. 
Derek also preached on occasions, which we all enjoyed because he would never talk for too long, but would bring something encouraging and humorous.
Just a couple of weeks before Derek died and when his memory of short term events wasn’t good due to dementia.  My sister Sarah and I popped in to see him at home and we reminded him about how he used to lead services and speak at church.  I told him that I still remember a sermon he preached 30 years ago about life not being a sprint, but it being like a marathon obstacle race! In his sermon he encouraged us that it is all okay because, on this race, God wants to be by our side every step of the way.  In a real moment of clarity, Del looked up at me and Sarah, he nodded and said, ‘Yes, I did didn’t I’.
Derek George Armsby ran that marathon obstacle race with dignity and faithful endurance. He was an example of kindness and generosity to us all and he continued to exude joy even in his final days. 
His school report still reads true - ‘excellent work’ Derek on a life well lived.

A Tribute from Matthew
Imagine a teenage boy standing in a wide, open playing field in a little village in the middle of the countryside.
It’s the beginning of spring, the sun is finally showing its face, and you can smell freshly cut grass. The boy is restless, full of anxious teenage energy. The athletics season has started, and he is good at the 100 meters and the hurdles, but he's raw, unpolished, and full of doubt.
That boy was me. And standing next to me on the grass was my dad.
Many of you know that Dad was a sprinter in his younger days. In so many ways, I literally followed in his footsteps, becoming a sprinter myself. That afternoon, he hadn't just come to watch; he had come to coach. We were there to look for techniques, to find those extra fractions of a second that make all the difference. My sisters were there too, and their memories of that day may look a little different from mine but the core of it was the same.
I can still picture him demonstrating his posture, showing us how to drive our knees up, how to carry our weight. Standing on that field, was the dad I needed there and then. Here was a man who had run his own races, completely invested in ours. He didn’t want to run the race for us; he knew he couldn't. But he wanted to make sure that when we stepped up to the line, we had everything we needed to succeed. That afternoon was a perfect snapshot of who Dad was. Whatever he put his hand to, he did with unwavering determination. He didn't do anything by halves.
Dad loved good food and fine wine. In fact, he was so determined to master the art of winemaking that he used the warm airing cupboard in my bedroom as the perfect spot for fermentation. I went to sleep every night to the literal bubble and fizz of his latest vintage. We had all picked the elderberries ourselves.
That determination was most clear in how he loved and served the Lord. When Dad led worship at church, it was never just a list of songs to sing. It was an authentic encounter. He didn't just stand at the front; he led us, with a servant's heart, into a genuine place of worship. You could feel his faith in every step. He was running his race with total devotion.
As I grew older, I realized that afternoon on the field wasn’t just about athletics. Dad was teaching us how to live. And when he became a Christian, you could see that even more. He lived his life by the words from Hebrews 12:1-2
"Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith."
For Dad, faith required training, commitment, and endurance. When life threw hurdles in his path, he didn’t stop. He leaned into his faith, kept his eyes on the prize, and kept moving forward. He showed us that the race of faith isn't about competing against others; it’s about running with integrity, holding onto hope, and trusting the One who is waiting at the end of the track.
In his final days, as the finish line drew near, Dad knew he was going home. But true to form, he wanted to be certain he had run the race exactly as intended. He would ask: "Am I alright with God?"
He wasn't afraid. He was simply checking his course one last time. He wanted to ensure he had followed God’s plan for him, that he hadn't veered off the track.
We put his mind at rest; he was absolutely alright with God. He had run the race set before him with everything he had.
As he got closer to that finish line, the veil between this life and the next grew thin. On one occasion, Dad turned to Jean, and asked her quietly, "Do you see them?" We don't know for certain who he was looking at in that moment. But we can't help but wonder, did he see his own parents standing at the edge of the track? Were they waiting for him at the finish line, calling him home?
Dad has finished his earthly race now. He ran it beautifully, he ran it with strength, and he kept the faith until the very last stride. There is a verse in 2nd Timothy that perfectly captures the life he lived:
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness."
He has received that crown now. He is resting with God, completely at peace.
Whenever I face my own starting blocks, and whenever the hurdles of life look a little too high, I am going to look back at that playing field, remembering his determination, his joyful worship, and his steadfast faith.
We should all keep running, and if you don’t know the purpose for your race – I urge you to find it.
Thank you, Dad. You can rest now.

Timeline

1936

June 11^th

Born

Derek arrived

Lived at 12 River Street, London

Gallery

Videos

Memory wall

July 11, 2026

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So so sorry you had to leave this world , I know you are with God now Whois keeping you close to him . Derek you will be greatly missed by all, but the memories will live on in our hearts forever . What a great man you were, fantastic guy to your family and friends. There is only one Derek , and that’s you Derek, and you will always be remembered for being Del Boy . God bless you Derek and thankyou for being such a great man to us all .Love Always 💙💙💙

Julie Coates

July 6, 2026

1

Derek, Andrew & I have a fond memory of you showing us around the houses of parliament on election day in 1998. I had just met you, but you were so warm & charming, not to mention knowledgeable about the place you worked as an electrician.

Dianne Pearce

July 6, 2026

1

Only one Derek, if you know you know. So many happy times in Derek's company. From meals at the 3 horseshoes to drinking cocktails in Cuba. Loving, caring,kind and cheeky sense of humour x

Lorraine Coates

July 6, 2026

1

So sorry for the loss of a good man. A loving husband and devoted farther. Rest in piece uncle Derick love from Daniel and Julie xxxx

Daniel Tuson

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