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Former Waite wrestler James E. Derr, nicknamed “Big Daddy” and “Derrby,” has been inducted posthumously into the City League Hall of Fame.
Derr was born in Logan, Ohio and married Elizabeth on August 17, 1957 in Toledo. His family and friends lost a hero when Derr passed away on February 5, 2002, after battling a combination of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Dementia.
Derr graduated from Waite in 1954. He continued his formal education at Bowling Green State University, where he lettered four years in wrestling and football. He later played semi-pro football for the Toledo Tornadoes, where he held the record for kicking the longest field goal.
A United States Army veteran, Derr was employed as an industrial arts teacher 37 years before retiring in 1996. He taught nine years at Northwood High School and was instrumental in the school’s football and wrestling programs.
Derr then taught at Perrysburg High School until his retirement. At Perrysburg, he coached football, wrestling, and baseball. While coaching wrestling at Perrysburg, he organized the Perrysburg Invitational Tournament (PIT) and also served as a driver’s education teacher and the assistant athletic director.
Derr is remembered for his many years of impacting young people through coaching, especially wrestling. Over the years, he received many commendations. The annual wrestling tournament at Northwood was named The Jim Derr Memorial Tournament in his honor.
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| James Derr |
For years, Derr was a fixture at the prep state wrestling championships in Columbus. He was inducted into the Ohio High School Athletic Hall of Fame in the 1990s. He assisted with the formation of the Cardinal Stritch High School youth wrestling program and was very active in the organization of the World Cup Wrestling Tournament.
Derr was posthumously inducted into the Waite Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Perrysburg Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007. He was also presented the 12th Man Award at the Regional Senior All-Star Football Game in 2002.
Derr’s favorite hobbies were hunting, fishing, and woodworking. He was a member of Main Street Church in Walbridge, a former president of the Perrysburg Lions Club, and an Old Newsboy. Derr was also in charge of the “Bread Basket” for needy families, served as the Perrysburg Education President, and was a member of the negotiations team. Derr made sure that he left time in his schedule for his family, as he attended every one of his children’s activities and sporting events.
Derr and his wife had six children. Their three sons, James E. II, Michael, and Donald, were all four-year varsity wrestlers. They also had three daughters. Mary was on the school dance team, Jacqueline was a four-sport varsity athlete, and Amy was a three-sport varsity athlete.
“It has been an honor for Jim’s family to know that his contributions and accomplishments have been recognized,” a press release states. “A goal of many people is to impact the life of at least one other person. Jim Derr touched many, many lives and this is evident in the lives of his wife, his family, and his friends. To his survivors, he was the best husband, father, PaPa, friend, coach, and hero.”
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