Derek Keola William Ghormley
January 26, 1987 – July 6, 2024
Derek Keola William Ghormley passed away on July 6, 2024 after a relentless and challenging journey with colorectal cancer at the age of 37. He transitioned peacefully at home with his partner Alina To by his side. As was his wish upon entering home health and hospice care, he spent extensive time with Alina, as well as his dear friends and family, continually held in an embrace of love and support. Cancer may have shuttered the light of Derek’s physical future, but it never dimmed his spirit as he and Alina navigated this mysterious phase with curiosity and courage.
Derek was born on January 26, 1987 to Nanette Brierley and Dennis Ghormley in Beaverton, Oregon. He spent his early years in Vancouver, WA, before moving to Seattle, WA, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Cornish College of the Arts in 2010 specializing in sculpture and 3D art. His creative and explorative spirit guided his pursuit in a colorful life as a woodworker, a bartender, and an artist.
As a woodworker, he built beautiful custom shelves and tables for local businesses. Some of his work can be found at Analog Coffee and Musang. As a bartender, he began developing his mixology skills at Sun Liquor Distillery, and was invited to join the team at Zig Zag Cafe, a nationally renowned cocktail bar in Seattle. His refined palette excelled him in his path of crafting artful beverages. As an artist, he created with intention and skill. He worked with his hands and heart. He made emotional connections between people, and radiated vulnerability and the art of being himself.
Derek and Alina originally met in 2009 through mutual friends in Seattle. They kept in touch as acquaintances and neighbors through the years. In May 2021, they reconnected and found a match in friendship, humor, and love. Derek was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in September 2022, and they began walking this beautiful and heartbreaking chapter together. They held a small commitment ceremony in June 2024, surrounded by their loving and supportive chosen family.
Derek enjoyed many outdoor activities including biking, camping, fishing, and paddleboarding. He also loved photography, drawing, cooking, relaxing at home, enjoying good food and company, and playing hanafuda and mahjong. Between the end of his chemotherapy treatment in August 2023 and discovering his cancer recurrence in March 2024, he was embarking on a renewed and intentional path in woodworking. His heart was always in making and building things.
Derek will forever be remembered for his pure warmth and kindness, his quiet confidence, and his wit and humor. He was an attentive and caring listener, a highly self-aware individual and a sharp problem solver. Derek touched countless hearts in a wide range of communities, leaving behind a legacy of compassion, generosity, and cherished memories. He will be forever missed by everyone who has been graced by his beautiful soul, and by those who continue to know and love him.
He was never more at home or at peace than somewhere among nature, and wished to be a part of the water forever. He chose to become soil through Recompose, and we know he will continue living and nourishing those around him in his new form.