Dr Derek Leonard French, 1931–2024

Dr Derek Leonard French, 92, of Victoria, passed away peacefully on 17 March 2024.

Derek was born on 9 April 1931, the eldest child of Leonard and Gladys French, in the London suburb of Bow, England. He grew up amid the turbulence of World War II, an experience that deeply shaped his life. In his youth, Derek excelled in sports such as soccer, boxing (he was London champion and second in England), and cricket, and he relished exploring the English countryside on his bicycle, sometimes cycling hundreds of kilometres.

Derek met Shirley Daventry, his life partner and spouse of nearly 70 years, while they were students at Barking Abbey School. They married in 1954 as he completed his medical studies, becoming a physician. As was required of young men in post-war England, Derek embarked on his national service, practising medicine in Tripoli, Libya, and Egypt during the Suez Crisis. He did his internship in Manchester and later did additional training in anesthesia.

Derek and Shirley immigrated to Victoria in 1959, where Derek worked for decades as a family physician. He provided holistic care with a focus on preventive medicine and pain management. He spent many years on the board of the Victoria Cool Aid Society and working at the clinic. He was an early adopter of sedation for dental procedures and focused solely on this later in his career.

Outside of work, Derek raced a 6-metre sailboat with friends, and he learned to ski and garden. He was a founding member of the Iyengar Yoga Centre of Victoria. A quiet and contemplative person, Derek loved the wild, natural beauty of Vancouver Island, especially rural Metchosin, where he lived for more than 60 years. Derek was a quintessential lifelong learner. He was well read and had a quick, keen wit. He took great pleasure in a lively conversation over a good meal paired with wine.

His family will remember him as a talented storyteller and eclectic philosopher. His dry English humor and astute observations will be missed by his wife, Shirley; his children, Rachel (Carlos), Stephanie (Chris), and Adrian (Michele); his seven grandchildren, Adriana (Greg), Miguel (Abby), Andres, Pierre Sebastian (Francesca), Elise (Parker), Eligh, and Henry; and his great-grandchild, Mattea.
—French family

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