Derek wasn’t just a brother, son and uncle. He was a best friend to everyone he met. He spent 22 years making himself impossible to forget.
Derek was born in Portsmouth, NH on August 14, 1984. He was funny and mischievous as a little boy, and had two big sisters he loved to annoy.
As he grew he found a love for skateboarding that would end up being one of the most profound loves of his life. He was an OG skate park kid, and skateboarding meant everything to him. Whenever we didn’t know where he was, we found him at the park. Whenever we heard the front door close, and heard him skateboard down Henry Law Ave (at a speed that would have terrified any sane person - if you know that hill), we knew where he was going. Skateboarding was his life, and anyone who knew and loved him, knew it.
The skatepark was where Derek forged friendships that lasted his entire life. Where his friends became family. Where he probably caused some trouble, but always protected his crew. He would have given any stranger the shirt of his back, and I’m confident in saying the skate park was where some of his best and most unforgettable memories were made.
Derek’s life was cut short in a tragic car accident in 2006 when he was just 22 years old. And it is something that his family will never truly heal from. We move forward because that’s the thing about tragedies - you don’t get to choose when they happen, but you do have the opportunity to choose how to you respond to them. You can choose to find some way to carry on - and the bench you see here was one way we tried to ensure Derek’s legacy at the skatepark carried on.
Derek’s Dad, Rick Watts, built the bench back in 2007. He installed it himself at the old skate park with the help of some of Derek’s closest friends. We still have pictures from that day when we all came together to remember Derek; recognize the bench and the collective effort it took, to make it a fixture at the park.
While you may not know who Derek is, or who he was, all we can say is we’re sorry - because you missed out. 😂 Please know that everything skateboarding means to you, meant that much to him. And how much you love this park, is how much he loved the old park. When you sit on the bench, we hope you can feel his spirit and know he’s cheering you on to nail that next trick.
We are 100% sure Derek would give anything to be here today, and his family would give anything to hear his skateboard wheels on the pavement just one more time.
We want to remind you to always enjoy this park - respect this park - and make friends with everyone you meet at this park. Because that’s what Derek would do.
Give no fucks. Take no shit. Be kind to everyone you meet.
I’ve had a few people ask to see this, so I thought I’d share. A few weeks ago at the new Dover Skatepark ribbon cutting , I gave a speech about what the skatepark means to our family and what it meant to Derek. When Derek passed away my Dad built a bench and installed it at the old park. When we knew the new park was being built we worried the bench wouldn’t be moved to it, and a part of Derek’s legacy would be taken away. With the help of a few incredible people, the bench was moved and we couldn’t be more grateful. If you’ve read this far, you’re amazing. If you take the time to watch this video, I hope you can’t tell how nervous I was (because I WAS, lol), but that you can feel Derek’s spirit in all of my words. We miss him every single day and wish so badly he was here to enjoy the new park. The skate community is thriving and I’m so proud to be some part of it - even if I may never be cool enough to skateboard. 😜
