Derek Fink

Derek Daniel Fink — An Obituary, But Not Really

Derek Daniel Fink was born August 30, 1983, to Edward and Carol Fink, in a family that already had three children and, as fate would have it, needed one more person to quietly observe everything, remember every detail, and eventually deliver the perfectly timed one-liner.

He was the youngest of four and the best little brother Chris, Brian, and Cheri could have asked for. Derek grew up in Denison, Iowa, and graduated from Denison High School in 2002. He went on to graduate from Buena Vista University in 2006, where he was a Beaver on the field and, more importantly, began building the friendships and relationships that would become such an important part of his life.

Derek believed sports were a metaphor for life. And he didn't just believe it. He lived it. Sports were his language. He watched them, played them, coached them, debated them, studied them, and occasionally made a friendly wager on them. He could rattle off a stat nobody else remembered, argue a rule nobody else cared about, and somehow turn the whole thing into a lesson about life. But Derek never loved sports simply because of the scoreboard. He loved what sports taught us. How to show up. How to support your teammates. How to handle adversity. How to win without becoming arrogant and lose without becoming bitter. How to take the next pitch. How to make the defensive play. How to keep fighting for the day in front of you. And, perhaps most importantly, how the people beside you matter more than the final score.

Derek carried those lessons into everything he did. His career in teaching and coaching allowed him to share his passion with others, but the greatest team he ever belonged to was his family. Derek married Stephanie Grady on July 24, 2015. Together they built their life in Denison, teaching, raising Blaine, and welcoming Brantley into their family on April 17, 2016. Dad was Derek's favorite title. He loved Steph and those boys with everything he had. He loved taking them to Iowa State football and basketball games. He loved trips to Kansas City to cheer on the Royals. He loved having every NFL game imaginable playing across a wall of televisions. He loved the conversations, the arguments, the traditions, the ridiculous moments, and all the memories in between. He knew that sometimes the best moments weren't the big ones. Sometimes they were just showing up. Being there. Watching the game together. Taking the trip. Making the memory.

Derek was diagnosed with ALS, a disease that came after him with everything it had. So Derek did what Derek always did. He adjusted the game plan. ALS tried to take his voice. Derek found a way to speak. It tried to isolate him. Derek found ways to stay connected. It tried to take away his independence. Derek found new ways to participate. It tried to define him. Derek refused. That was Derek. He met every curveball with energy, attitude, and toughness. He didn't spend his days asking why life had changed. He focused on what he could do with the day he had. Win each day. Keep showing up. That became the game plan. And Derek was very good at game plans. He never stopped being Derek. He was still the quiet observer who saw more than he said. Still the guy who could make you laugh when you least expected it. Still the guy who would give you an honest answer when you needed one—even when it wasn't necessarily the answer you wanted. Still the guy who reminded you to keep perspective. Some things matter. Some things don't. Some things are problems. Some things are simply lessons telling you it's time to pivot. And sometimes, you just need to quit worrying about the score and enjoy the game.

Derek's humor and wit were unmatched. His calm demeanor could make you think he wasn't paying attention, right up until he delivered an observation so perfectly timed that everyone in the room was laughing. His resilience and perseverance were unmatched, too. He didn't pretend life was always fair. He simply believed it was always worth showing up for. Show up. Support people. Love them. Make them laugh. Lift them up. Go to the game. Take the trip. Place the bet. Have the honest conversation. Surround yourself with the people you love. Those are the things Derek would tell us mattered. ALS did not steal Derek's passion for life. If anything, it made that passion more visible. And Derek didn't lose to ALS. He simply had a better game plan. So maybe this isn't really an obituary. Maybe it's a scouting report. Maybe it's a final lesson from a teacher and coach who spent his life reminding us that the scoreboard isn't the whole story.

Derek played with energy. He played with attitude. He played with toughness. He showed up. He loved his family fiercely. He supported his people. He made us laugh. He taught us perspective. And when life handed him the toughest opponent imaginable, he never backed down.

Now Derek has left the rest of us with the final play. Keep showing up. Keep loving each other. Keep laughing. Keep fighting for the day. And when the opportunity comes, go to the game. Because life is short. The people you love are the whole point. And Derek would probably tell us there is always another game worth watching. Just make sure you don't miss it.

Derek passed away on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at his home, surrounded by his family, having attained the age of 42. He was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Donald and LaVonne Hulsebus; paternal grandparents, Harold and Margery Fink; aunt and uncle, Thomas and Linda Cooper; cousin, Reggie Cooper; uncle, David Fink; and aunts, Rita Nissen and Stella Fink.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Stephanie Fink; sons, Blaine Grady and Brantley Fink; parents, Ed and Carol Fink; siblings, Chris (Tera) Fink, Brian (Marcy) Fink, and Cheri (Eric) Emery; in-laws, Dave and Julie Esser; brother-in-law, Mark (Jenn) Esser; nieces and nephews, Tatum, Bryce, Hunter, Devin, Teryn, Jake, Easton, Ty, Payton, Owen, Levi, and Emme; along with other extended family and many friends.

Visitation with family greeting friends will be held on Saturday, August 29, 2026, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Denison High School Gymnasium. Visitation will resume on Monday, August 31, 2026, from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. at Zion Lutheran Church in Denison. Funeral services will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, August 31, 2026, also at the church. Burial will be held in Zion Lutheran Cemetery in Denison.

The family requests that everyone wear Team Fink apparel or their favorite team attire to the visitation. Memorials may be directed to the Monarch Booster Club in Derek's memory.