Marian Derby

Marian Rose Derby of Bel Air, died September 20 at Bel Air Assisted Living. The loving wife and mother of four passed away at the age of 85. Born at home in Joppa, she was the daughter of the late Eugene J. and Margaret H. (Nowland) Kilduff. The 8th of 10 children, she grew up in the depths of the Great Depression. She was a graduate of St. Stephens High School in Bradshaw and received her nursing degree from St. Joseph Hospital in 1954. A resident of Harford County for more than 70 years, she worked as a nurse for most of her adult life and was the Director of Nursing at Bel Air Convalescent Center for over 17 years. In 1960, she married Charles C. Derby and spent the first years of their marriage stationed in St Johns, Newfoundland before returning to Harford County. Together they raised two sons, Michael and William, and two daughters, Carol and Susan. Marian was born to be a nurse due to her passion for helping people and was known for her kind and compassionate spirit. She read a book about nursing at age 12 and knew that is what she wanted to do. After high school she worked as a lawyer's secretary to save money to attend nursing school. Upon graduating she worked as surgical nurse for industrial surgeons. When she moved to Newfoundland she made house calls to new mothers and their babies. Once retired, she continued her calling to help others through her work with Hospice, as a reading tutor at Bel Air Elementary school, and with St. Margaret Church as a Hospital Eucharistic Minister and part of the Funeral Reception Ministry. As a final gesture, Marian donated her body to support medical research and education. She is survived by her children, Michael C. Derby and his wife, Alisa, of Houston, TX, Carol A. Derby Gauthier and her husband, Michel, of Alexandria, VA, Susan E. Derby and her husband, J. Eric Uggen, of Vienna, VA, and William T. Derby and his wife, Erika Antanauskaite, of Bel Air; six grandchildren; one great-grandchild; her sisters Frances Justice of Columbia and Teresa Swift of Towson and her brothers Joseph Kilduff of Edgewood and Thomas Kilduff of Forest Hill. A memorial service will be held at 10:00am on October 25th at St. Margaret Church. Contributions may be sent to Smile Train, PO Box 96231, Washington, DC 20090-6231.