I had the opportunity to speak with Derek on various occasions throughout the years, mainly at the NY Pro, Night of Champions and a few other IFBB events.
The kid was certainly very animated and had many ideas about expanding his own brand and the sport of bodybuilding. He had much "life" in him.
He wasn't always correct in many of his ways, but I suppose that's part of being human and we're all at fault for making various mistakes of our own. There are many things I never quite understood about Derek, mainly his being a nice Jewish boy that became infatuated with the idea of Sicilians and the "Mob" mentality, but to each their own. He also family and friends which cared for him dearly and in person seemed to be relatively approachable by others. He did have his issues with Vince Goodrum, issues which I never agreed with or supported, but that can happen with anyone. It would have been nice if both had the opportunity to make peace, but again, that's life.
I feel bad in his passing, because I think that death is a much too cruel of a sentence for anyone. I want everyone to live a fulfilling life with various opportunities to achieve their own level of happiness. A life cut short, due to stupid mistakes, is truly sad. So much potential is lost in the passing of any human being.
Rhetoric aside, I thought he was entertaining on the forums and had much revolving gossip that would surface from his many antics.
Any time a "real" person from these forums passes, I feel sad. I feel sad, because it is a real entity that we have come to enjoy by way of poking fun of them, interacting with them and following up on their interesting lives. It might seem like selfish motives, but the truth of the matter is that Derek was as much of a GetBigger as any of us.
May he rest in peace.
"1"
