Tribute to Derry Wilkinson
by MattBrown Posted on October 5, 2010 at 2:42pm
This is a personal tribute to my mate Derry who died tragically on Sunday 3rd October.
Derry was a remarkable bloke. It has been a real pleasure to call him one of my best mates, and to meet him even, for him to have touched our lives. He was a giver. He was generous without expectation. He was a true Welshman, passionate about the nation, the team, and the heritage. He was reliable, honest, consistent, funny, clever, driven, loyal and compassionate.
I can’t believe he’s gone, but I’m trying to take some solace from the fact that he entered my life, despite it being for too short a time.
We met in 1983 when he moved from Cornwall to North Wales with his mum and his sister. He’s been a fabric of my life since then. 27 years, but that’s gone now, in a heartbeat – literally. My heart goes out to his mum, and family, and the friends and colleagues he’s left behind.
He won’t be forgotten, and I personally will use the memory of him and the way he was as an example to set, a bar to aim for.
He was fatally injured at the scene of a motorcycle crash on Sunday 3rd, October, on the Northbound carriageway of the A3 near Petersfield, in circumstances which have left his family and close friends in shock, and disbelief.
I wanted to just write this down because I can’t still get my head round what’s happened.
Dez Llew, Dyfed Steels, Dez Braech, Dez Wastrafu, Stick I Mewn. Gutted.
Rest in Peace Derry – gone but never forgotten.
If you didn’t know him, Derry was who you would like to be, if you were a better person than you are. If you did know him, you know this doesn’t get anywhere near doing him justice.
Clever, thoughtful, caring and devastatingly funny, he was the whole package. This is all just impossible to believe, so glad to have known him.
“If you did know him, you know this doesn’t get anywhere near doing him justice.”
And those whom know him know they will never meet anyone like him ever again. In my life he is simply irreplaceable.
His loss is devastating beyond words.
From the top of my 23 years old, I didn’t had a lot of boss, but Derry was so far the best and I’m sure will remain the best, he was much more than a simple boss.
He was a everytime here for me, for us – doing the best to make us happy. I was so proud to tell to people how amazing he was and how lucky I was to know him.
Irreplaceable ** Derry ** Unforgettable
“You risk tears if you let yourself be tamed.”
The Little Prince
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
(translated by Richard Howard)
It’s now a week since he went. It still feels like it’s a temporary thing, like he’s on holiday. It feels odd, even wrong, discussing him in the past tense, as if it’s accepting that he’s gone and I just don’t want to.
The memories of you will never be gone though, for me or anyone else that loved you Derry.
You’re one in a million mate and I’m not ready to say goodbye to you yet.
Thank you Matt for those true words. News came late to me. I only heard today and am still incapable of summing up all the fineness that is Derry. I only got to spend a short time in his presence but will never stop holding it dear. I feel terribly far away and wish that I could be there on Friday. I shall certainly be so in spirit.
For a man to whom words were so important there are just none that can do him justice. He was one of a kind and my life will never be the same for having been part of his. I will love him forever and miss him for even more.
Derry was my wife’s boss, Derry was also my friend. As said above, it doesn’t feel like a permanent thing, it feels like, I dunno what it feels like to be honest. The pain actually hurts.
Derry, a great laugh, always will buy a beer, happy to chat, always has time. The world is not so nice a place without Derry Moon. The way he looked after us, thought about how we felt, made sure we were ok.
It feels so wrong thinking of leaving him in Anglesey, so far away, see ya Derry, lots of people won’t forget you mate. xxx
I’ve spent this last week going through motions, and looking for angles, and trying to put myself inside Derry’s mind when what happened happened. There’s nothing good in any of this.
My friends tell me to look at what next not what if – I’ve got to admit I’ve found that difficult.
Seeing Dez’s other good friends – Andy, Si, Luke, Gareth – has helped a little, but mostly hurt a lot. It’s easy to laugh and joke about the day-to-day. Derry loved the ‘bum gags’ – fuck me even writing this down makes me sad again. I’ll get over it a bit because I have to.
Not having Derry here anymore has already left a big hole, and I don’t know what will happen after his funeral on Friday. I love that people have written comments on this site.
I only added a blog option so I could write about what I cared about – I like that people post, but hate what they are writing. This sucks. Dez spread himself wide but never thin; he was always quick to carry your burden, but he never shared his own. He was a gentleman.
I wonder what Derry would have done differently that day if he’d known what a desperately sad place he’d left behind; definitely a better place with him in it. Big up to you on Friday Dez, and to the people who come to celebrate you, and commiserate your untimely departure. Fuck man…
Like everyone else here I was very sad to hear the terrible news about Derry.
Completely agree with all the fine things said about him here, I didn’t know him for long, but he really was a great guy and an example for us all to try and follow.
This is from Anthony Heath, long time friend of Derry and his Ma, and a great friend of my bro, and my Ma, and me.
‘I had the privilege of being at Derry’s funeral. It was unbearably moving, and the turnout of quality people was levelling. Only one person was really missing from this gathering of family, friends, colleagues, buds, etc etc..
Everyone associated with Des seems to be honourable and decent; he was a true catalyst for good.’
Anthony; anthonypheath@yahoo.com
Dear Audrey, and Isla,
I’m very sorry to have heard about Derry, he was one of the significant people to me over a long period of my life. I have so many memories of his witty humour – And his responses were often the definitive ones.
Some people always remain hard-wired up to your thoughts … My heart goes out to you.
Love Lawrencex
[Lawrence Jago - became friends with Derry when he moved from Cornwall to North Wales in 1982, when we were both aged 12].
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=145024568877029
They say memories are golden
Well maybe that’s true
But we never wanted memories
We only wanted you.
xxx