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Derek McGrath
May 10, 1961 - October 24, 2013
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<div itemprop="description">Derek &ldquo;Deke&rdquo; McGrath, age 52, passed away suddenly in his Whitby, Ontario home on October 24, 2013. He was born in Berwick, NS, son of Michael McGrath (Dartmouth, NS) and the late (2003) Edith Camille (Page) McGrath. He spent his adolescence in the Humber Park area of Dartmouth attending Graham Creighton High School. He lived most of his adult life in Whitby, Ontario. <br /> <br />Derek graduated with an Industrial Instrumentation Diploma from Dartmouth Regional Vocational School. He was intellectually accomplished achieving academic success. Following his graduation Derek immediately moved to Deep River where he started his 31 years with the Ontario Power Generation Company. Derek quickly evolved into a leader and assumed the role of Control Maintenance Manager until his retirement in 2013. He received great accolades and numerous Letters of Commendations throughout his career. His life&rsquo;s work at Ontario Power was both dangerous and rewarding. His family was very proud of his vocational accomplishments. <br /> <br />His personal life was just as full. Derek loved well, marrying his first wife Angela Skodje, his second wife Christina (Lilly), and loved his current partner Ester Trotter. He was a proud and dutiful father to three wonderful children. He loved them dearly and provided well for them throughout their lives. <br /> <br />He visited his Dartmouth home usually twice a year, reuniting with his family, boyhood friends, and teammates. The FNHL golf tournament and &ldquo;garage get-togethers&rdquo; will never be the same. <br /> <br />He was the life of the party and could hold court reciting great stories and delivered the best punch lines. He was a master joke teller and talented imitator. He was also a nostalgic soul with a huge heart. Derek was a giving man and had compassion for all. He gave generously to those in need. In quiet moments, Derek shared that he lamented things in his life that he could not change. <br /> <br />He is survived by his children Sarah, Ryan (Mother-Christina), and Ondraya (Mother-Angela), father Michael, older brother David (Maureen Banfield), Dartmouth; younger sister Deborah (Joseph) Blondeau, niece Leah and nephew Brandon, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. <br /> <br />He was a brilliant and funny man; a loving father, a selfless son, and a devoted brother. <br /> <br />A private gathering for family and close friends will take place at 3pm, Thursday, October 31 in Mount Lawn Reception Center, 21 Garrard Road, Whitby, Ontario. Funeral Service will be held locally at the Atlantic Funeral Home, 771 Main St., Dartmouth NS on Saturday, November 2, 2013 at 2pm The interment will occur immediately afterwards for family only in Dartmouth Memorial Gardens. A reception will follow in the funeral home reception center. <br /> <br />In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of your choice. Letters/notes of condolences may be communicated to the following email address. www.atlanticfuneralhomes.com (Dartmouth chapel) <br /> <br />&ldquo;A butterfly lights up beside us like a sunbeam. And for a brief moment its glory and beauty <br />belong to our world. But then it flies off again. And though we wish it could have stayed, <br />we feel so lucky to have seen it.&rdquo; <br /> <br /></div>