Derek Michael D’Arcy, affectionately called “Ala,” died at the Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center on Thursday, August 28, 2025.
Derek lived in Newport News, Virginia, with his wife, Joyce (58), and nearby his eldest daughter, Dana (36), and her two children, and his son, Seamus (34). He is also survived by his daughters, Sarah (28) and Danielle (24). Derek fought prostate cancer in 2015 and kidney failure, but ultimately died of a bacterial infection called Vibrio that he tragically contracted from their most recent family outing to Virginia Beach.
Derek was born in Lourdes Hospital on September 12,. 1960, as the youngest of the D’Arcy family. He attended St.Joseph’s Junior School and Christian Brothers Secondary School. He was a renowned football (soccer) player even joining a semi-pro league. He later moved to Brittany, France, where he studied painting and decorating and met amazing lifelong friends and his wife Joyce. He went on to live with her in America and study the Bible at the Emporia, Kansas campus of the Way Ministry in 1988. Derek lived in Chicago, IL, Los Angeles, CA, and Williamsburg, VA from 1987-2025.
The D’Arcy family hosted an at-home fellowship during these years, touching the lives of countless people. Derek owned his own business as a painter, interior and exterior designer.
He was a proud Irishman and enjoyed coaching soccer, teaching and reading God’s word, painting, and spending time with his family. He is also survived by his sisters, Sally and Madeline, and brother Seamus.
