Photo courtesy of Gentry Locke Rakes & Moore

Roanoke lawyer Eugene Derryberry also volunteered as a Barrister Book Buddy for Morningside Elementary School

EUGENE E. DERRYBERRY

1942-2007

Prominent Roanoke lawyer Eugene E. Derryberry would often sing and play his guitar in the middle of the afternoon to lighten up the office.

"When Gene would sing, everything in the world would be all right," said Mike Pace, a managing partner at Gentry Locke Rakes & Moore. Derryberry worked at the law firm for 34 years and was known as a mentor and a strict grammarian with a love for teaching.

"He was totally generous with his time, and he understood what was important and what wasn't in life," Pace said.

Following a long battle with prostate cancer, Derryberry died Thursday at the age of 64. Those who knew him well say they will remember him for his devotion, goodness, humor and zestful approach to life.

Derryberry was born Oct. 31, 1942, in Chattanooga, Tenn., and grew up in Signal Mountain, Tenn. He received his bachelor's degree from Duke University in 1964. After graduation, he became an officer in the Navy and served aboard the USS Fort Snelling in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. During that time, he evacuated American citizens during the Dominican Republic revolution and helped with the successful deep-water recovery of an intact hydrogen bomb off the coast of Spain.

After his military service, Derryberry studied law at Duke University, where he received his degree in 1970.

He excelled at his profession and was named one of the "Legal Elite" in the business law category by Virginia Business magazine. He was also included in "The Best Lawyers in America 2005-2006" in the areas of bankruptcy, creditor-debtor rights law, financial institutions and transactions law.

"He had this work, lifestyle balance thing figured out," Pace said. He described Derryberry's love for wine, roller coasters and music, as well as his community involvement.

Derryberry volunteered as a Barrister Book Buddy as part of a reading program in which lawyers visit schools. He served as a board member for Total Action Against Poverty, the Child Health Investment Partnership and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Roanoke, where he sang in the choir.

"He was really about helping the underdog, he had a real compassion for people who were less fortunate than him," said Robin Haldiman, executive director of CHIP. Haldiman also described Derryberry's devotion to children.

Derryberry was the focus of a 2004 article in The Roanoke Times, where he was quoted as saying, "A lot of people say the things you regret are not the things you've done, but the things you haven't. I'm trying not to leave many of those behind."

When he was diagnosed with cancer 11 years ago, it was in the advanced stages, Pace said.

"The statistics were that one in 100 live past 10 years, and it's no surprise that Gene was that one," Pace said. "He never complained. Not once. Through all the treatments, all those years, he showed us how to seriously deal with adversity in a positive and meaningful way."

Derryberry leaves behind his wife, Joanne, and sons Jonathan and Wesley. "Joanne has been by his side the whole time," Pace said.

Haldiman added, "His life made a difference, and isn't that what we all want to say?"