Loving husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather, Tom Derbidge, passed away at age 91 on February 16, 2015. He was born on December 3, 1923 in Salt Lake City to Lawrence Robertson Derbidge and Ruth Hannah Armstrong. He married Bette N. Walton on August 19, 1943 in Salt Lake City, Utah, later solemnized in the Salt Lake Temple on April 11, 1957. Tom was a faithful and active member of the LDS church, where he served in many church callings. The most gratifying calling, however, was the time he served as a temple ordinance worker in the Jordan River Temple. At the same time that he was a temple worker, he and Bette served as Family Home Evening teachers at the Utah State Prison in Draper. In 1998, Tom and Bette were called to serve a mission in Australia, where they were able to meet some of Tom's Derbidge relatives and were able to collect many family names to do temple work for. Tom attended school in the Granite School District and upon graduation from Granite High, in June of 1943; he was inducted into the Army Air Corp. He served as a gunner on a B17 during World War II where he flew 25 bombing raids over Germany. He returned home in October of 1945. He then enrolled at the University of Utah where he received a degree in June of 1950. Tom then began his career as a salesman. A few years later, he started a small distributing business that he worked at until 1980. He then decided to join the family trade as an electrician. After some further training, he received his Master Electrician License. Tom then began his own business as an electrical contractor. The last job that he did was to help his cousin wire a home in 2005 at the age of 82 years old. Because of health issues, he then decided to retire. His family was the love of his life and in his later years he especially enjoyed his great grandchildren.
Tom is survived by his wife of 71 years, Bette Walton Derbidge, his 3 children, Shauna (Malcolm) Jeffery, Craig (Cathie) Derbidge, and Brenda (Gary) Hill, 11 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren, his 2 sisters Margaret Mettler andRuth Robison. Tom is preceded in death by his parents, 7 brothers, 2 sisters, and his first grandchild.
He will be missed and remembered fondly by his family and all who knew and loved him.
Services will be held Monday, February 23, 2015, at 11:00 AM with a viewing from 9:30-10:30 AM prior at the Salt Lake 14th Ward located at 142 West 200 North, Salt Lake City, Utah. A viewing will be held Sunday, February 22, 2015 from 6-8 PM at Larkin Mortuary located at 260 East South Temple, Salt Lake City.
