Derek Daniels

Derek was a son, brother, uncle, grandson, best friend, and more. He was my little brother and my best friend. I miss everything about him. He gave the best hugs and ended every phone call with I love you. He was honest and kind in the most genuine way. He would do anything for his family and his friends. His heart was so big, there was no end to the love he gave to those around him. But he was sensitive and that took a toll on him. He fought depression for most of his life which led to his addiction. We almost lost him once years before to a near fatal overdose but he recovered and went on to give us nine more years with him. During that time he was sober, he graduated college, he was running the family business, he was always there. Steady and strong. But the depression always came back. At some point he started using again. He hid it for a while. By the time he told us he was too far gone. As a family we did all we could, but in the end, he lost his battle. We found him on October 21, 2017. He passed away from an overdose and is gone from us forever. Our lives will never be the same without him.

"I carry your heart, I carry it in my heart. I am never without it. Wherever you go, I go." - ee cummings