Birth date: Jan 2, 1947 Death date: Jan 5, 2020
Stephen Derek “Derry” Visser, 73, of Bradenton Beach, Florida, passed away on January 5th after a lengthy illness. Visser, formerly of Cincinnati, was preceded in death by parents Dorothy Dohoney Visser and Leonard Barco Visser, a Read Obituary
Derek
We had incredible times sharing
Life
Love
And the ATP tennis tourney in Mason
Ohio
Thank you for your humor wisdom and love for life ——— :-)))
You will be missed— but more so….. You will always be remembered…
I already miss your presence whenever we covered the games …..
Especially your humor on and off the air…. Memories never fade
I have been searching for Derek's whereabouts for a number of years, and am saddened that when I've finally found him, it is too late to say, "Hi. How's it goin'?"
In 1986, a new job took me to Cincinnati , where we became friends and shared many laughs. He was smart and patient and fun - and helped me with many "life moments." including, letting me cry on his shoulder when a boyfriend dumped me . . . patiently helping me practice tennis (although I was a hopeless case on the court) . . . running over to my apartment early one summer morning - dressed in full winter garb and gloves, with his tennis racket in-hand - to help capture a bat that had made it's way inside . . . and digging frozen ground one winter day to help me bury my cat (which had been nothing except mean to him) . Of course, he grumbled about the cat while digging its grave.
I've moved thru a half-dozen states since then. We kept in touch for at least a decade after I moved away from Cinti - and, even long distance, we shared good times. Then he fell off my radar. Time passed. Intermittently I tried to find him. I knew he had relatives in Florida, but wasn't sure exactly where. I've missed Derek. Sorry to hear he was ill for so long.
Derek is one of the treasured friendships of my life.
Nance Brisbois
Del Mar, CA
I was watching a show, which made me think about Derek. His family likely doesn’t know me; however, Derek was without a doubt one of my favorite people growing up. Behind my first tennis coach, Derek was the person who pushed me to excel at the game of Tennis. I would wake up at the crack of dawn on Saturday and a Sunday mornings to hit with him on Withrow High Schools tennis courts. He taught me how to serve, volley and eventually how to compete. I credit Derek, for being able to compete as a D1 NCAA tennis athlete. Without him early on, I wouldn’t have made it. We lost touch after I went off to college, but I’d always think back on the days that we hit together.
Derek was a kind, funny and generous soul. He will be missed. Sending my thoughts, even though they are super belated, to the entire family.
Best,
Tim Hershner
Cincinnati, OH (now residing in Fort Myers, FL)
