Derek Stanley Lendosky graced the world with his effervescent presence on August 7, 2003 and unexpectedly walked into his Lord Jesus’ arms on Sunday afternoon, August 4, 2013 in Fennimore Twsp., Grant Co., WI, three days before his 10th birthday.
Derek was a light that can never be extinguished. He loved everyone, and everything. He was smart, talented, kind, handsome, and one of the best angels God created. Though he was with us for too short a time, he impacted everyone around him, especially his parents, Steve and Brandee (Van Slyke) Lendosky, and his nine year old brother Lucas and his six year old sister Peyton.
Derek lived to play. Baseball, basketball, football, board games, card games, video games, WWE wrestlers, cars, his overabundance of stuffed animals, he loved it all but his favorite thing to do was pitch for his little league team. He kept statistics on anything and everything. He played piano with the hopes of being in a band someday. He was a green belt in karate and getting ready to test for his next level this month. He loved to read, and was just finishing up the second Percy Jackson book so he could go to the movie with his mom on his birthday. He wanted an I-pod touch and a rip-stick skateboard, which he didn’t know he was getting from his parents.
He has a loving family, filled with cousins, aunts, uncles, grandmas, grandpas and great grandparents. He prayed for them every night. He was blessed with so many wonderful, amazing friends whose hearts we cannot begin to heal. His family is heartbroken, but calmed by the knowledge they will see him again in heaven. This is a time to celebrate Derek’s vibrant life, which is what he would have wanted.
The family is deeply grateful for the outpouring of prayers, concern, thoughts, and help. We cannot name you all, but we thank you and ask that you continue to keep our family in your thoughts and prayer.
Mom and Dad love you D-Rock, everyone does, and we will forever. You live on in every moment with us, safe in our hearts.
Derek is survived by his loving parents Steve and Brandee Lendosky of Fennimore, siblings; Lucas and Peyton at home, paternal grandparents, Dennis (Sarah) Lendosky of Fennimore, maternal grandparents; John (Kellie) Van Slyke of Ham Lake, MN, and Vicki (Ed) Brendemuhl of Anoka, MN, paternal great-grandparents; Delores Lendosky of Greenwood, WI, and Marianne Brechler of Naples, FL, maternal great-grandparents; Marion Westrum of Minneapolis, MN, Tom Westrum of Minneapolis, MN, and Kermit Hallum of Bloomington, MN. Derek is also survived by several special aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Derek was preceded in death by his paternal great-grandfathers; Robert “Bob” Brechler, and Stanley Lendosky, and maternal great-grandparents Fred and Erma Van Slyke.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Friday Aug. 9, 2013 at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Fennimore with burial to follow in the Prairie Cemetery. A visitation will be held from 2:00 – 8:00 P.M. on Thursday afternoon Aug 8, 2013 at St Peter Lutheran Church and from 9:00 A.M. until the time of service also at the church on Friday morning. In lieu of plants and flowers a memorial fund has been established at Livingston State Bank. Memorials may be mailed to Livingston State Bank, P.O. Box 99, Livingston, WI 53554. An informal community gathering and balloon release in memory of Derek will be held at 7:00 P.M. on Tuesday evening Aug. 6, 2013 at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Fennimore.