Obituary of Sallye F. Derrickson

Selfless, spirit filled and sacrificing. She lived it, loved it,

and now is receiving her reward in Heaven for a life well

lived. Sallye Francena Derrickson was born in Crisfield,

MD on December 10, 1928, the second child of the late

Reverend Cyrus Walter and Mrs. Nancy Byrd Derrickson.

 

As one of five siblings, she spent her formative years

living in parsonages, from the Eastern Shore of

Maryland to Philadelphia, PA. After graduating from

Moton High School in Easton, MD, she attended Bennett

College in Greensboro, NC. After her first year, she

discovered her parent’s grueling ministerial

responsibilities were affecting their quality of life. She

felt compelled to come home from college to assist.

From this point on, she found her calling to never leave

her family’s side.

 

Sallye has been the hands -on backbone of the

Derrickson, Byrd, and Murray families for generations.

She has unselfishly raised nieces, nephews, nursed sick

relatives, and managed the households, cleaned

parsonages and churches after each move, cooked;

making a mean pot of chicken and dumplings.

 

She held significant positions in the “Old Delaware

Church Conference”, played the piano, sang in choirs,

and taught Sunday School. Sallye loved the great

outdoors; as exhibited by her flower and vegetable

​gardens, hunting, fishing, and just watching the moon

and the stars. In her downtime, she enjoyed jigsaw

puzzles and word searches.

 

Always civic-minded, the day she became old enough to

register to vote was a milestone for her. Years later in

1963, she and her sister Margaret participated in the

March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom with Dr.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

Upon her father’s retirement in 1970; she moved with

her father and youngest nephew to Willingboro, NJ and

took up residence with her older sister Margaret and

brother-in-law Reverend Alfred Murray. She was an

active member of Good Shepherd UMC, then St. Paul

UMC. She chauffeured her father to many speaking

engagements, taught Sunday School, and was a constant

support for the many ministries going on within the

household. All of this, while providing parental

guidance for her nephew’s schooling and sporting

activities.

 

It was important to Sallye that her parent’s never go into

a nursing home. She cared for her mother Nancy Byrd

for seven years prior to her death. Likewise, she cared

for her father until his passing. It was then that she

began to think about what God had next for her. She

became a

Certified Nursing Assistant at Burlington Woods in

Burlington, NJ.

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She always said, ”It was important to treat my patients

as if they were my own parents. “

Her natural abilities led to a promotion entitled “Quest

for Quality”. She was also instrumental in getting

smoking banded from the facility. She worked there for

eleven years.

After a nine- year illness, Sallye went home to be with

her beloved Lord and Savior on January 15th, 2021.

Sallye is the last of her generation. She leaves to mourn,

nieces, nephews, a host of friends and dedicated

caregivers from Bayada and The Hospice of Moorestown

VNA.

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