Derek's Immediate Family
Life in Turkey
Dad & Paige
Mom & Ted
Kristin & Eric

Derek's Extended Family
Extended family:  the Pogirskis
Extended family:  the Rupps
 

Family Get-togethers
Aunt Joan & Uncle Walter's October 2005 visit
Trip to Minersville for Joan's suprise party, 2008

Go to Betsy's Main Page

Derek's parents both came from small coal-mining towns in northeastern Pennsylvania.  Rumor has it that Alex fell in love at first sight and asked Carol to marry him after their first date.  They were married in the summer of 1954 (?) and moved away for Alex to attend college. They lived in upstate New York and had two children (Paige, Derek) before moving to Turkey, where Kristin was born.    The photo above was taken in their backyard in Talas, Turkey. (Click on the photo to enlarge it; click the "back" button to return to this page).

They returned to the U.S. when Derek was about 6, and he has lived in and around Ann Arbor ever since.

Throughout childhood, Derek loved sports; his best was hockey.  He was a member of the Huron River Rats from 1975 through 1977, when he graduated. Around that same time, Derek discovered pool.  He's one of the top 15 all-around players in Michigan.