Derek Saul Williams

With an inquisitive mind and a selfless heart, Derek Williams was the kind of guy who was always busy doing something and enjoyed running on his own schedule. He was rather adventurous and loved the great outdoors, perhaps because his free sprit had more room to roam. Although Derek struggled to find his own way at times, he was a survivor and was working hard to make the right changes in his life. He was compassionate and loving, greatly impacting the lives of many people who were blessed to know and love him.

The year 1969 was a year unlike any other in American history. It was during this year that Richard Nixon was sworn in as president, Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon, and thousands gathered in Washington to protest the war in Vietnam. It was also in this same year that in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Alan and June (Dawson) Williams were celebrating the arrival of their son, Derek Saul, on April 6th. Both of Derek’s parents were originally from Liverpool, England, and he was especially close to his paternal grandfather, Les Williams. Derek’s father worked as a union carpenter while his mother did various secretarial work. Although he was born in Kalamazoo, his family moved to Plainwell and then finally settled in Mattawan when Derek was about ten years old. When he was two, Derek was joined in his family by his younger brother Keith and the two shared a relationship that is often typical for young brothers – one that was a little bit of both a love and a hate relationship at the same time. Even from an early age Derek had an inquisitive mind and was always trying to figure out how things worked, often taking things apart – even his brother’s toys!

Derek graduated from Mattawan High School in 1987, ready to pursue the career that he was truly gifted in. From the time he was 12, Derek was his father’s “apprentice” and was extremely talented in his woodworking skills. He attended Apprenticeship Training School in Fennville where his father was an instructor. Derek was in fact his father’s apprentice and the time spent together created a strong bond between the two. He became a union trim and finish work carpenter, a good fit for his more creative side. Derek became employed as a union finish carpenter for Miller-Davis for many years.

In addition to his work, there were so many other things that Derek enjoyed as well. He worked on electronics and cars, even currently rebuilding a 1957 Chevy. Derek loved satiating his love for learning through working with his hands and creating something new. He also was very connected with nature. It was even said that Derek had "laser-eyes" when fishing as he could seem to spot them 20 feet out. He enjoyed “roughing it” while camping in a tent, hunting, and fly fishing too. He was also a talented artist who was great at free-hand sketching or working with oils – basically using whatever he had in the house. When it came to music, Derek enjoyed more of the classic stuff like The Beatles or Led Zeppelin, and he was also interested in Native American culture. Family heritage was very important to him and as one-third Cherokee himself, Derek deeply embraced these roots. His life was also extremely influenced by his grandfather, Les. Derek spent precious time in England with Les while he was dying; it was a life changing experience for him.

His family heritage was only one aspect in Derek’s life that was important to him. He was also into pets and always had some type of pet whether dogs and cats while he was growing up or exotic pets in more recent years. Derek had a big fish tank, exotic lizards, and even snakes. His nephews, Caleb and Connor, loved their Uncle Derek because he was so unique. They enjoyed visiting his exotic pets or fishing at Gull Lake together. He made a huge impact on their lives. He also loved his house, a geodesic dome home, and although he didn’t build it himself, he loved it for its uniqueness. Derek was even well known for his unique home. It was a home that required a lot of maintenance, but Derek was the right man for the job and always had some type of project going on there. He also enjoyed the quietness of the woods that surrounded him on his five acres of land where he was able to enjoy nature right in his own backyard. Derek also had a thirst for popular science and science fiction information, easily remembering everything he read. He especially associated with the quest he saw in the movie, Star Wars. He had become a Jedi Knight!...”May the force be with you.”

There were many things that made Derek unique and for which he will be remembered. Derek was an inventor of sorts who was always thinking of ways to do things differently or more efficiently. He was very outgoing with a great sense of humor and although he always had numerous projects to work on, he was always available for his friends. Derek was also blessed with an amazing memory and could seem to remember things from way back when. He struggled to find his way at times and he seemed to be a bit of a square peg trying to fit into a round hole, but he managed to come out on top even with so many strikes against him. Derek was just starting to see the light and was really working hard to get his life on track when his bright light was extinguished much too soon.

In so many ways, Derek Williams left his mark on the world but it will be his selfless heart and caring spirit that will be so dearly missed. He was a gifted artist in his trade who from his earliest age loved learning new things. Derek was a bit of a free spirit who often didn’t follow the norms of the world around him but it was this very same uniqueness that made him so easy to love. Although Derek’s life ended much too soon, his family and friends will be forever thankful for the moments they were given to share with such a remarkable man.

Derek Saul Williams died on October 21, 2009 at his home. Derek’s family includes his father, Alan Williams; his mother, June (Robert) Clearwater; his brother, Keith (Amanda) Williams; and 2 nephews: Caleb and Connor Williams. Services will be held Monday 1:00 p.m. at the Betzler Life Story Funeral Home –Kalamazoo, MI; 6080 Stadium Drive, 375-2900 followed by a reception in the Life Story Center. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com, where you can archive a memory or photo, or sign his memory book before coming to the funeral home.