Derek surprised me one morning when he showed up at my job at Arcade, Inc. Before we got acquired, he worked with us at Retail Communications, Corp. Sampling Innovations and RCC worked well together as we had no representation in Europe.
For some time after we became Arcade, Derek couldn't get a straight answer from the then CEO of Arcade if Sampling would be working still with us. Either by not taking his calls or just giving him the run-around by not answering him straightforward.

When I saw him that morning in our New York office, I wa both happy and surprised to see him. I asked why he had come and he replied he wanted to meet face to face with the CEO to find out once and for all whether Sampling would still have a relationship with this new company. He returned to my office within the hour and I asked him how did it go. He replied, “Terrible. We no longer have a relationship with this company.” Needless to say, I was heartbroken by this news. He told me not be be worried. That the relationship he built with me and the other former RCC employees was still as strong as ever. It saddened me that the CEO didn’t have the guts to have told Derek when he first asked and that he had to fly to New York to ask that question in person. 
Derek and I went out that night to our usual restaurant whenever he came to town - The Peking Duck House in Chinatown. Once again him and I had an enjoyable evening. Sadly, it was the last time we ate there together. But true to his word, we never lost touch and remained friends. I was happy to visit him and his wonderful wife, Moira, in Haywards Heath and have dinner with them at his Golf Club. 
When God made Derek, he broke the mold. He was a man’s man. Kind and generous with a wonderful sense of humor. I will miss him terribly, but he will always remain in my heart. And I’ll always leave a chair opened for him whenever I go to The Peking Duck House. 

Rob Eik