On the 3rd of may 2011 Derek died of cancer , this was the post he asked his family to publish after his death . If you have the time please read the full article here and if you don't here are some snippets . Its really sad but really inspirational . RIP

"If you knew me at all in real life, you probably heard the news already
from another source, but however you found out, consider this a
confirmation: I was born on June 30, 1969 in Vancouver, Canada, and I
died in Burnaby on May 3, 2011, age 41, of complications from stage 4
metastatic colorectal cancer. We all knew this was coming."
"The world, indeed the whole universe, is a beautiful, astonishing,
wondrous place. There is always more to find out. I don't look back and
regret anything, and I hope my family can find a way to do the same.
What is true is that I loved them. Lauren and Marina, as you mature
and become yourselves over the years, know that I loved you and did my
best to be a good father.
Airdrie, you were my best friend and my closest connection. I don't
know what we'd have been like without each other, but I think the world
would be a poorer place. I loved you deeply, I loved you, I loved you, I
loved you."