Once met never forgotten,a very likeable genuine fella from the start.

Very sad news indeed, Deka was always up for a laugh and a joke , a true gentleman with old school values.

So sad. A brave and lovely man. We'll miss him on every walk.

A great guy who fought hard and kept going to the end. He will be much missed.

Very sad news. To loose one of our much loved and respected OD family. %u2639x

Terribly sad news, he was such a gentleman and a lovely caring friend to us all ... thanks for letting us know Kate. My heartfelt thoughts are with you, his closest friends and family x

Another sad loss but leaving us with great memories. A brave gentleman who laughed with courage and bravery. Thinking of his close friends and family. RIP lovely dear friend from Jo and Alan xxx

Such sad news.....but now at peace after this long battle...My dear friend Derek..RIP Xx

Thank you for writing that so beautifully Kate. He was a fantastic friend to me a lovely genuine man who I will miss beyond words. X

Deka was a lovely friend, always there to help us all with a laugh & a smile, we walked so many miles together. He fought so bravely in his battle & I will miss him. Sending much love & hugs to all his many friends & family at this tough time xx He will walk on in our hearts on the hills he loved so much xx

A genuinely lovely man. Will remember the happy adventures spent.He will be greatly missed. Our friend Derek. xx

Very sad news.Rest in Peace Deka.

Rest in peace lovely man x

So sad to hear this news. Such a lovely man ☹

Thank you Kate, sending you love and hugs xxx
We all have such great memories of a truly lovely man

So very sad. Rest in peace Deka you will be greatly missed. x

Read with such sadness Kate. I hope he got my text a couple of weeks ago. My lovely Deka. I will miss him so. Lovely ved and never forgotten.xx

It should have read loved.

What a wonderful man and friend who will be sadly missed by all who had the pleasure to know him, laugh with him, walk with him and sail with him. A remarkable man and true gent in every way.

Darling Deka... So many special happy times we have shared, who touched our hearts with his warmth and caring friendship. A true gent indeed.
Will miss you Deka x

So very sad.
We were indeed fortunate that he had the fortitude to give us so much of his time this last year and such good OD memories.

So sad to hear this. Only met Deka a few times but remember him as friendly and engaging and I enjoyed several pints with him on the walks.

Dear Deka, what a wonderful kind man. Charming, caring, a true gentleman as many have said. My thoughts are with his family and close friends. He will be greatly missed . RIP.xx

Reading all the beautiful words written by Kate and all on this forum has brought a smile to me despite the sadness I feel. He gave us all friendship that enhanced our lives, we will miss and remember him.

Bless him. A kind and caring chap, my thoughts and prayers reach out to him. RIP Derek. Love Chris x

Viv and I are very saddened to hear the loss of such a wonderful walking friend. Derek always enjoyed fun outdoors and he was a true gentlemen, he'll be truly missed by all who new him, rest in peace Deka xx

He was a truly lovely man. So sorry to hear such sad news but feel honoured to have known him. My sincere condolences to everyone who knew and loved him.

Such a lovely kind gentleman who will be very sadly missed xxx

Deka showed great courage in joining in walks during his treatment. I am so glad I had the opportunities to meet him.

catwalker: I'd forgotten that eve! So funny... Deka spent about 30 mins trying to act out a film after quite a lot of beer. I remember sitting next to Tinks and crying laughing. Wonderful memories!

Terry and I are very saddened to hear the loss of such a wonderful walking friend. Derek was a caring and funny a true Gentlemen who will be sadly missed. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. RIP Derek x

There are not enough good words to describe Deka. Sleep soundly my friend.

So sad to lose a true gentleman who fought so bravely. Lump in my throat now but good to read the kind words of all on here who have contributed. He obviously touched our hearts.

I'm very sad to hear of Deka's passing. Although I met him only a few times I was present on his first Outdoorduo venture in August 2013. A beautiful day on Ullswater which began a new chapter in his life and, despite the sadness, we can feel glad that the friends he made through this site enriched his life during these last few years just as he enriched the lives of those around him.

Such lovely tributes for an OD legend.
Only had the pleasure to meet Deka on a couple of occasions, a true gent.

Very sad to hear this.

I am sure he has left am enormous gap in the hearts of those very close to him. My inner thoughts are with them.

Deka was incredibly brave and it was easy to forget that he was ill at times as he seemed to have so much zest for life with his mischievous smile and energy.
The amount of support he got from his friends on OD was tremendous and a tribute to his big personality. God Bless you Deka xx

Very sad to hear of Derek's passing. I only met him a few times, most recently on Scafell Pike with some OD friends. He was a courageous man and a true gentleman.

A truly genuine man. A wicked sense of humour a kind word and hug for everyone he met. A pleasure to have known him, he will be greatly missed. May you stay forever young xx

We were shocked and saddened to hear about Deka. Andrew met him more times than I did but we both thought he was a lovely man with a great sense of humour, Kath and Andrew (fell walker).

Honoured to have known Derek - an inspiration and lovely friend to many.

R.I.P Deka. We'll miss you on those Wednesday Wanders but remember you always.XXX

There isn't many people on here who I can say I have met but I did meet Deka and he was a nice bloke so I'll join the rest of you in wishing in a grand farewell R.I.P Derek

You will be sadly missed Deka, RIP, a true gentleman.

Very sad to hear this news. Our paths only crossed a couple of times but he stood out as a lovely guy who was good company and had a terrific zest for life. He will be missed

A much adored man by us all. We will miss your humour, mischievous smile and the bear hugs. Xx

Great lovely man who was one in a million. Easy to talk to and get along with and always had a smile on his face. Rest in peace Deka and well done to you Kate for standing beside him along the way. He will be very missed!! %uD83D%uDE02

How very sad that we%u2019ve lost such a legend. Never without a smile, a friendly word and a welcome hug. It was the perfect combination of traits which ensured he was loved by everyone who met him.
All your southern girlfriends will miss you so much.

top_spot (john): well said John. On his first day, Deka turned up for a mega long / high walk in trainers and no previous experience of hiking the high fells ( or so he said!) but Deka was at home on the fells as we were. A happy day with lots of laughs 🙂

Sleep well lovely Deka, you will always walk with us, your OD family xxx

So sad to hear. A lovely man ,you will be missed on the walks, once met never forgotten.always brought a smile and joy.RIP dear friend

Such sad news. A lovely kind, friendly, genuine man. A big hug for everyone he met......and maybe a Deka kiss 🙂 A pleasure to have known him, he will be greatly missed xx rest in peace Derek xx

Very, very sad news. You will be missed. Rest in peace, Derek xx

If he could read all this now he'd find it very difficult to remain dry eyed and he would be so happy that you all thought so much of him. Although he would deny being anything special he would be over the moon at being so loved.

A true gentleman my condolences to close friend's.