Unexpected Death

Growing up, I was very good friends with my mom's friend's sons. They lived close to us and my sister and I would walk down to visit them during the summer almost every day. Cory is a year older than me and we were the best of friends. We actually made a pact when we were little that if we weren't married by the time we were 30, we'd marry each other. Haha. He got married last year and he and his wife are expecting their first baby... 


Derek, his younger brother, is just 25... or was I should say. He passed away yesterday. I'm so saddened to hear this. He had been battling a form of lymphoma for years... It is such a sad, sad story. His bone marrow transplant worked and he was officially cancer free. What happened is... he got the flu. It's as simple and as sad as that... He died because of complications from the flu. He couldn't keep down his anti-rejection medications. Once the hospital got that under control, his body was rejecting the bone marrow. And once that happened, his organs started shutting down one by one until he died. His family didn't expect it. No one did. His death was such a shock.

God looked around His garden and found an empty place. He then looked down upon the earth and saw your tired face. He put His arms around you and lifted you to rest. God's garden must be beautiful, He always takes the best. He knew you were suffering, He knew you were in pain, He knew that you would never get well on earth again. He saw the road was getting rough and the hills were hard to climb, He closed your weary eyelids and whispered "Peace Be Thine." It broke our hearts to lose you but you didn't go alone. Part of us went with you the day God called you home.

Here is his obit (some information removed):

Corporal Derek Lee ---, age 25, of ---, IL, passed away at 4:36 a.m., on Monday, March 25, 2013, at his residence.

A memorial service in his honor will begin at 5:00 p.m., Friday, March 29, 2013, at --- Funeral Home, ---, ---, IL. Family and friends will officiate. Visitation will be held from 2:00 — 5:00 p.m., at the funeral home.

Born June 1, 1987, in --- IL, Derek was the son of Alan and Vicky ---. He is survived by his mother, Vicky --- of ---, IL; two brothers, Cory --- and wife Kristina of ---, IL, and Joel --- of ---, IL; grandparents, N. E. and Jean --- of ---, IL; and grandmother Jane --- of ---, AZ. He also leaves his loyal canine companion, Daisy.

Derek was preceded in death by his father, Alan ---; his grandfather, Jim ---; and his aunt, Tina ---.

Derek graduated from --- High School in 2006. He then joined the United States Marine Corps and proudly served our country with tours of duty in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Haiti. He earned the rank of corporal before his illness interfered with his service.

Spending time with family and friends, including Daisy, and hanging out at the lake, would no doubt be at the top of Derek’s list of favorite pastimes. He also had a fascination with reptiles and enjoyed collecting them.

Memorials in his honor may be made to the American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org, 2509 S. Neil St., Champaign, IL 61820, or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, www.stjude.org, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

R.I.P. Derek! You are a true hero and you will be greatly missed.