Rachel Dickson Derrick

Rachel Elease Dickson Derrick died on April 15, 2023, at the age of 82.  She was born on February 20, 1941, to Jesse and Gladys Kelley Dickson and she was a 1959 graduate of Westminster High School.  In her younger years, she was an accomplished athlete and played basketball during both her high school and college years.  Rachel completed her Associate of Arts Degree from Anderson College in 1961. Then, on December 9, 1961, she married the love of her life, Bobby Randall Derrick.  The couple welcomed their first child, Lesley, in September 1962.  Soon afterwards, Rachel earned her cosmetology license and opened her own in-home beauty salon, “Rachel’s Beauty Shop,” where she enjoyed styling hair for family and friends for several years.   She ended her career as a hair stylist when Bobby and Rachel’s second child, Blake, was born in January 1974.  Rachel returned to work in the 70’s as a payroll manager for Richland Garment Company.  In 1989, she became employed by the South Carolina Health Department – Appalachia 1 Public Health District – retiring as a Fiscal Technician in 2004 after 15 years of service.

 

Personally, Rachel enjoyed gardening and growing flowers.  One of her favorite pastimes was sitting on the family’s screened porch which faced a small creek, watching the birds and whatever other creatures might happen to pass through on a particular day.  She loved decorating her home during the holidays and preparing memorable delicious, and bountiful family meals.  She especially loved and treasured time with her family.

 

Rachel was a lifelong resident of Westminster until recent years.  She moved to Georgia to live close to her children while battling the disease of vascular dementia.  Rachel has always been a fighter and she fought the disease valiantly up to the end.

 

Rachel was preceded in death by her husband, Bobby Randall Derrick; her parents, Jesse and Gladys Dickson; and her brother, David Dickson.

 

Rachel is survived by her children, Rev. Lesley Derrick Langford and husband, Daniel; and Dr. Blakeley Derrick and wife, Katie; four grandchildren; Daniel C. Langford, III (wife, Elizabeth), Jesse (Hampton) Langford, Gracelyn Elease Derrick, Blakeley Reid Derrick, II, and one great-grandson, Everett (Rhett) Langford; and her sister, Barbara Dickson King.

 

A funeral service will be held at 2:00 pm, Wednesday, April 19, 2023 at Sandifer Funeral Home Chapel with entombment to follow at Heritage Memorial Gardens Mausoleum.  The family will receive friends and family from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm, prior to the service at Sandifer Funeral Home.

 

The family is at their respective homes. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Rachel’s memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, Attn: Donor Services, 225 North Michigan Avenue, Floor #17, Chicago, IL 60601, Brooks United Methodist Church (Lesley’s church), 119 Morgan Mill Road, Brooks, GA 30204 or Rock Bridge Community Church (Blake’s church), 905 Curtis Parkway, SE, Calhoun, GA 30701.  Condolences may be expressed online by visiting www.sandiferfuneralhome.com