Mike Derby fought cancer for a long time and it took him out last Friday night at the age of 57. He lived in Virginia with his family. We became friends on this forum many years ago, and he was quite adept at repairs and enhancements to his Boxster.
On two different occasions, we met in NC at the Tail of the Dragon for driving weekends. On the second weekend, I drove my BMW 550i and my family up to a cabin and he drove over to see me. We drove up the dragon in his Boxster and he got out, handed me the keys, and said, "Try not to put us over the side of the mountain."
I don't know a lot of guys that would give you the keys to their Porsche to drive
that particular road at speed. I certainly would not.
A few years later, and before I got my own Durametric tool, Mike sacrificed one of his spare VIN numbers by FedExing his cable to me to use and return to him. Through the years, we have called one another to figure out what's wrong with our Boxsters and how to fix broken stuff on the cheap. I'm going to miss him.
Mike was a wonderful guy and a good long-distance friend.
If you interacted with him in positive ways and you'd like to share something below, it would be a great way to remember him. He was a contributing member to this forum for 13 years.
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