Derek Lee Coble

Derek Lee Coble, 37, of Suffolk, Va passed away at home on August 23, 2025. He is preceded in death by maternal grandparents, Douglas and Susan Goodin; paternal grandfather, Thomas Coble; and grandmother, Ola Mae Stirewalt.

Derek proudly served 6.5 years in the U.S. Army as an infantryman, including a deployment to Afghanistan, where he was injured by an explosion. For his bravery and sacrifice, he was awarded the Purple Heart and later medically discharged due to his injuries. In 2019, Derek and his wife, Nina, attended Operation Heal Our Patriots, a ministry of Samaritan's Purse, where his heart for helping others continued to shine. He later served with Team Patriot on disaster relief missions.

Above all, Derek was a devoted husband and father - the kind of man who coached soccer games, spent countless hours in the shop with his boys making heartfelt, handmade gifts for Nina. A faithful Christian, Derek found joy in serving both his community and God, as well as an active member of Holland Baptist Church.

He is survived by his wife, Nina L. Coble; sons, Antonio Antole, Joseph Antole, Sebastian Coble, and Andrew Coble; father, Scott Coble (Susan); mother, Jenny Stirewalt; stepfather, Dan Clift; sister, Jacqui Turner (Brandon); brother, David Coble; grandmother, Nancy Hartsell; grandfather, Vernard Stirewalt; nephew, Chad Turner; many cousins, aunts, uncles and brothers and sisters in Christ in arms.

A funeral service will be held on Thursday, September 11, 2025 at 1PM at R.W. Baker & Co. Funeral Home, Downtown Suffolk Chapel. Visitation will begin at 11:30 AM at the funeral home. Burial with full military honors will follow the service at Albert G. Horton, Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery, Suffolk, VA.

Everyone is invited to Holland Baptist Church, 6519 Holland Rd, Suffolk, VA 23437 for refreshments and fellowship. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Operation First Response or Samaritan's Purse U.S. Disaster Relief. Condolences may be registered at RWBakerFH.com.