On Tuesday, September 6th, 2022, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and uncle, Joel Derketsch, passed away. He was 81 years old. He leaves behind Barbara, his wife of 56 years; two daughters, Beth Fletcher and Dawn Duerr; and four grandchildren, Samantha Bess and Katherine Carter (Fletcher) and Hanna Olivia and Dylan Derk (Duerr).
A native of Brooklyn, New York, Joel grew up spending time with his lifelong friends: Gary, Arnie, Billy, Mark, and others at Kelly Park playing basketball day and night and going to Coney Island for Nathan’s hot dogs. The Kelly All-Stars, the team the boys played on in middle school, won numerous games and most impressively, the city championship tournament. Joel attended Madison High School and continued his athletic maturity into a great basketball forward. In his senior year, they won the Division 1 title and finished with a 17-1 record. He cherished and proudly displayed the trophies that he and his teammates earned through their teamwork and effort.
After graduating from high school, Joel earned a basketball scholarship to Newberry College in Newberry, South Carolina. He was a four year letterman in basketball and was inducted into Newberry’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009. He was a member of Kappa Pi fraternity and graduated in 1963 with a B.A. in Personnel Management. He was later awarded a Sesquicentennial Medal of Honor for his continued support and allegiance to his college.
Upon earning his degree from Newberry, he was drafted into the Army where he served two years. He showcased his skills during a very competitive tryout to become a member of the Army Basketball team, and his team won the All-Army Inter-Service Basketball Championship in 1965.
Entering the business world, Joel obtained a sales position with NCH Corporation and thereafter transferred to Spokane, Washington, where he met his future wife Barbara in 1966. After a whirlwind romance, they were married six months later. In 1970, they were blessed with twin daughters, Beth and Dawn. The honor of raising their daughters together gave them immeasurable memories and infinite happiness.
Joel went on to become Senior Vice President of Sales for NCH Corporation and after 42 years of service, he retired in 2009. He always valued hard work and effort, so he did not care for retirement. Because of this, he re-entered the workforce to lend his knowledge and expertise to various companies as a consultant. He continued this until his full retirement in 2015.
He was a one-of-a-kind personality. He could capture a room with his humor and warmth and was truly the best salesman in the world. He loved to travel, spend time at the beach, convertible cars, being with his family and friends, watching sports, having fashionable ties, suits and shirts and always being dressed impeccably. He leaves us with a legacy of his unending love.
A Celebration of Life and Memorial Service in his honor will be held at 11:00 o'clock, October 15th, 2022, at Georgia Memorial Park Funeral home & Cemetery, 2000 Cobb Parkway S.E., Marietta, Georgia 30060.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.GeorgiaMemorialPark.com for the Derketsch family.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.9.5