James Derby

James Landon Derby, 79 of Kerrville, passed away Sunday, May 30, 2021 in San Antonio. Jim was born on June 21st, 1941 in Buenos Aires, Argentina to Landon Basset Derby and Dora Katherine Haxell Derby. Landon was at that time in charge of the Texaco refinery. Jim attended St. George's School there until he was 10, at which time Peron nationalized the oil companies, and Jim's family returned to the States. He completed high school at Sleepy Hollow High School in Tarrytown, New York and went on to Duke University in Durham, North Carolina to study engineering. He enrolled in the ROTC program, and upon graduating, went into the Navy as an officer. Jim loved his navy experience, patrolling off Cuba during the missile crisis, and visiting all the countries around the Mediterranean on the destroyer the USS Strong. Jim met Sara Jean Gillespie (SJ) while at Duke and went on to marry her after she graduated and he finished his military commitment in 1966. He immediately went to work in the field for the construction company Chicago Bridge & Iron, which built oil storage tanks, water tanks, nuclear and liquid natural gas storage for municipalities and gas companies. They moved around the Caribbean 11 times in 3 years. After a few years, Jim was moved to the sales division of the company and traveled all around West Texas selling elevated water tanks. Their most exciting post was to Sao Paulo, Brazil in 1974 where Jim was president of the small subsidiary. Their son Billy was born in Sao Paulo in 1977. Posted back in the states in 1978, they spent a year in Chicago and then finally settled down for a long 14 year stint in Houston, back as head of the sales department and as a VP in charge of Quality Management. After 35 years with the company, Jim and SJ retired to Kerrville in the Texas Hill Country. Jim didn't take to retirement and before long he became involved in the Kerr Arts & Cultural Center (KACC), which had just purchased the old post office in Kerrville. His proudest accomplishment was to see it remodeled into a museum quality art facility during his six year tenure as President from 2002-2007. In 2004, he received the Chamber of Commerce and Daily Times Kerr County's Outstanding Citizen of the Year Award for this effort. KACC now anchors the downtown area and helps make Kerrville a go to destination for the arts. The Derbys have been supporters of the arts in Kerrville for the last 22 years and more recently supporters of the Freeman-Fritts Animal Shelter and Clinic. They continue to be patrons of KACC. Jim is survived by his wife of 54 years, SJ; his son, William Landon Derby (Billy); and two grandchildren, William Landon Derby Jr. (age 15), and Sophia Deniro Derby (age 12). Memorial service to be held at 11 o'clock on Saturday, June 5th at Grimes Funeral Chapels, 728 Jefferson St., Kerrville. Reception to follow at Kerr Arts & Cultural Center, 228 Earl Garrett, Kerrville. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Kerr Arts & Cultural Center.