Derek Purton | Obit

Derek William Purton

November 6, 1935- May 15, 2026

Derek Purton, a 50 year resident of Federal Way, passed away on May 15th at the age of 90.

He was an immigrant, having moved his young family from England in 1967 to begin what would become a 30 year career with Boeing. Derek was an Electrical Engineer, a trade he learned during his years in the Royal Air Force (RAF). The Purton family lived just south of Des Moines at first, then moved to Twin Lakes in early 1975.

He loved soccer. Derek coached youth soccer for many years, and when the Seattle Sounders began playing in 1974 attended almost all of their games in Memorial Stadium and later The Kingdome. He was a longstanding (and long suffering) fan of Tottenham Hotspur FC.

He was good-natured and kind. Derek’s favorite catchphrase was, “It’s all part of life’s rich pageant.”

He excelled at home improvement. Derek spent many hours tiling, painting, hanging wallpaper, building rooms in unfinished basements, plumbing, installing electrical and sheetrock-ing in several homes he owned over the years. Weekends often began with a trip to New Lumber and Hardware on Pacific Highway.

He liked his independence, and rarely if ever overshared. He described himself as a loner, but he loved his family with his whole heart. Derek was happiest when they were all gathered together, even though in his later years he couldn’t hear most of what was being said. He always wanted to know how everyone was doing and what they were up to.

Derek loved everything about driving.

He tended his roses and his vegetable garden for many summers. Gardening gave Derek a great deal of satisfaction.

He was soft-spoken, charming, and retained his English accent. Derek was born and raised in the small village of Northchurch in southern Hertfordshire, about 30 miles north of London. He recalled seeing the sky lit by fires when London was being bombed during World War Two.

He loved Jazz and Classical music primarily. Derek attended many concerts by the Seattle Symphony and the Auburn Symphony over the years. He also enjoyed singing along with Top 40 radio, even though he often got the words wrong.

Derek laughed the most at the absurd, in all its forms.

In what he called his “not so golden years,” Derek wrote dozens of emails to Federal Way city officials. He would say he did this to keep his mind sharp. Derek consistently advocated for greater transparency and accountability, particularly in the awarding of contracts and levying of taxes, and sought clarification when the city’s charts were vague or its numbers did not add up. He was humble and often self-deprecating, but unrelenting and terse when he felt it was warranted.

One city official recently said of Derek, “He truly cared about our city and spent a great deal of time and attention understanding and exploring the issues we faced. I came to rely on his sharp intellect and insightful findings. He served our community well.” Another noted, “His input was always worth considering, because of his in-depth knowledge and understanding of the city’s finances.” A third added, “He was both extremely courteous and respectful yet insistent on honest answers.”

Derek is survived by his son Steve Purton (partner Hannah Bennett), and his daughter Susan Merrill (husband Paul Merrill) and his five grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings, and by his daughter Karen and his wife of 63 years, Joan.

In August, Derek’s family will gather again to remember him and drink some beer. Derek loved beer.