Richard DERBY

 

Richard DERBY was born and reared in the national metropolis, where his father was a substantial capitalist and influential man of affairs, and he was a youth of nineteen years when he came to San Francisco, which fair city continued to represent his home and the central stage of his business activities until his life came to its close, his death having occurred January 7, 1905.

Mr. Derby was born in New York City, in the year 1858, and was a son of Thomas and Fannie (NIXON) DERBY, his mother having been a daughter of Sir John NIXON, whose home and estate were in the north of Ireland.  The other five children of the family were Thomas, Hannah (deceased), Margaret, Elizabeth and John (deceased).

To the public schools of his native city the subject of this memoir was indebted for his early education, which was supplemented by his attending the University of New York.  As stated above, he was nineteen years of age when he came to San Francisco, and here he entered the employ of the Southern Pacific Railroad, and with this great system he held for a number of years the office of auditor.  At the time of his death he was secretary and treasurer of the Pacific Improvement Company, and he served also as treasurer of the Geary Street Railway Company.  He was a republican in political allegiance, was affiliated with the Masonic fraternity, and was a popular member of the Olympic Club, a representative San Francisco organization.

On the 6^th of July, 1880, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. DERBY and Miss Elizabeth WALLACE, a daughter of Robert WALLACE and Elizabeth (THOMSON) WALLACE, and since his death she has continued to maintain her home in San Francisco.  Of their four children the eldest is Earle, who is manager of operations with the Pacific Oil Company and with headquarters in San Francisco; Desiree died at the age of eight years and ten months; Winona is the wife of Col. Henry T. BURGIN, of San Francisco; and Richard Jr, of San Francisco served as a captain in the aviation department of the United States Army in the World war period, and after the close of the war he continued his service in this Government department.  He was killed by his aeorplane falling at McCook Field, Dayton, Ohio.  He had married Miss Anita DIRGES, of Tacoma, Washington and the widow and two children survive him, Richard lll, and Anita, live in Tacoma, Washington.  After returning from the war he came to San Francisco, and was aide to Gen. Hunter LIGGITT for two years, with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, after which he transferred to McCook Field in the engineering school at that place, and it was during his service there that he met with the accident that caused his death.

Mr. DERBY was a man of gracious personality, fine intellectuality and marked executive ability.  He made for himself substantial and worthy success after coming to California, and was in the very prime of his strong and useful manhood at the time of his death.