He took me for walks in my pram, brought me a canary back from Singapore. Taught me to dance standing on his feet. Carried me round Nana's house on his shoulders. Taught me how to drive (hill starts up the steepest street in Onehunga) lol. He was a true gentleman, never said a bad word about anyone. Thank you Derek for being my uncle. RIP Jean xx

The service online was brilliant, brought back many memories of both your Parents. I remember the first time I met Derek, 1956 when we were so young. Derek always said, I was like a sister to him, and very protective over me..He was the most caring and honest gentleman, I remember dancing at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom with Derek, what a mover!!! Love always Marian Gort

‘Uncle Derek’ what a man, even so long ago had a dream of a life on the other side of the world, and went for if, what an inspiration to us all, a lot of us don’t have the bottle, sorry, a scouse saying, YNWA, George, Jacqueline and family xxx

Even though 12,000 miles separated us, Uncle Derek always found a way to bridge the gap. As children we eagerly awaited the arrival of letters and his giant Christmas parcels, with exotic treats and trinkets from across the world. Later in life, those parcels were replaced by his frequent visits to the UK. Martyn and I hold dear the memories of Uncle Derek and Auntie Jan gracing our London home with their presence, and the times we shared during our visits to their beautiful New Zealand. More than just miles defined him, though. Uncle Derek's kindness and humour shone brightly. He was a wealth of stories, with tales of his early days in Liverpool, his thrilling adventures in the Merchant Navy, and his life building a new home in New Zealand. A true family man, Uncle Derek's absence leaves a void in our hearts. We will cherish his memory and we will miss him dearly.