The Texas state flag on the Dallas Morning News will fly in memory of Larry Derrick on Sunday when half-crew.
At about 6-7, Larry Derrick towered over most of his colleagues in the library in the old Dallas Morning News building on Young Street.
But for many who knew him, his staggering size was dwarfed by his gentle personality – which drew countless reporters to his side in the 1990s and early 2000s.
“You noticed Larry as soon as you walked in,” said former colleague Tawnell Hobbs. “People came in and he made a habit of saying hello to everyone. He was really a sought-after guy that I think people relied on. “
Larry Derrick(AMY CONN-GUITERREZ)
Derrick, a former reference librarian at The News, died Sunday of complications from throat cancer, which he fought for about seven months. He was 61.
Relatives and former coworkers remember him as a patient and unwavering man who was passionate about supporting and helping others, both in everyday life and in his role researching reporters at The News.
Hobbs said reporters went to Derrick because they knew they could rely on him. He has built personal relationships with many of them, she said.
“The library can get hectic at times, and Larry was just that very calm person,” Hobbs said. “I don’t know if I ever raised his voice to Larry, to be honest. I really can’t remember ever thinking, ‘Oh, he’s crazy.’ He always only had a smile on his face. He was just very relaxed. “
Derrick was born on June 11, 1960 and lived in the Dallas area his entire life, said his sister Carol Derrick. He attended Garland High School, where he played basketball, and had a few jobs across town before ending up on The News.
He grew up in a Christian household where he and his five siblings were always taught to be good with people, his sister said, and he encouraged others to be kind and help people when in doubt.
“His main thing was that people live life and love one another,” said Carol Derrick, adding that her brother was silent about his battle with cancer because he didn’t want others to worry about him.
She said Derrick was a family man who had been generous all his life. He was the type of person, she said, who was usually over the top with Christmas presents, and his younger relatives loved hanging out with him “because they knew he was going to buy them something.”
Derrick also enjoyed helping the homeless and often helping out with serving food to those in need, his sister said.
“It was easy for him to be kind and treat people kindly,” she said. “He wanted people to get along, and he gave people the benefit of the doubt.”
Linda Jones, a former feature writer for The News, said she developed a close relationship with Derrick after he left the office around 2006.
Jones said Derrick never looked disheveled despite the frantic research inquiries he’d made from reporters. And outside of work, he went out of his way to share her accomplishments or projects so others would know about it, she said.
“He was such a cheerleader for everything I did,” she said.
Jones said that speaking with Derrick provided respite from the stressors in her life, noting that he shared countless laughs with her and others.
“A gentle giant who meant no harm to anyone wanted to live his life and enjoy life,” she said.
Derrick leaves behind his brother Neil and his two sisters Carol and Shirley from Dallas. Family members plan to honor him with a balloon release ceremony at Garland High School at a later date.
Instead of flowers, the family is asking for donations to the Cancer Treatment Centers of America.
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