Frederik J. Derksen DVM

Dr. Frederik J. Derksen, of Bath, MI, passed away on November 2, 2024, surrounded by family and friends. He is survived by his devoted wife of 46 years, Jan Derksen; his loving sons and daughter-in-law, Michael, Daniel and Emily Derksen; his beloved grandchildren, Bram, Bryce, Maeve, Olivia and Quinn Derksen; and his faithful Griffon Pointer, Yukon.
Fred, a native of the Netherlands, obtained his DVM from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1976 and he was a diplomat of the American College of Veterinary Medicine. Additionally, he earned his PhD in 1982 and joined the CVM faculty shortly after, beginning his 43-year career at MSU. While there he had countless graduate students, wrote more than 300 refereed papers, and held department chair positions in both Small and Large Animal Clinical Sciences.
In 2009 he was then recruited to be chair of the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. While holding that position, he was the principal investigator on two large USAID grants, focusing on institutional development in developing countries in Africa, South Asia, and Afghanistan.
In additional to his professional career, he was an avid outdoorsman and competitive athlete. During the winter months he was a down-hill and cross-country skier and competitive skijorer, even finishing among the top 10 in the world Skijoring championships for his age class in 2009. Once spring hit he loved to kayak, fish and hike with family and friends. He traveled the world performing these activities, however his favorite place to do these was at the family cabin in Blind River, Ontario, Canada. In the fall, he would spend many hours in the woods hunting for deer and game birds.
To the many people with whom Fred crossed paths, he was a trusted advisor in both good times and bad. Fred surely knew how to provide support when you were down, but also, how to appreciate the good times.
His biggest joy was being an amazing grandfather to his 5 grandchildren. Even with his busy schedule made sure he had individual time with each one on a weekly basis. His influence on them will live on.
A celebration of life will be held in the spring of 2025. Memorials can be made in lieu of flowers to West Michigan Trails (wmtrails.org) and Bath Alumni Football Organization (search Bath Alumni Football Organization on Facebook).
The family is being served by Watkins Brothers Funeral Homes, Laingsburg Chapel where online condolences may be shared at www.watkinsfuneralhomes.com