Derek Kanuho's Obituary
Thank you family & friends for being with us to celebrate Derek’s life. God blessed our lives on May 20, 1979 when Derek Wesley Kanuho was born to parents Freddie Kanuho and Annie Sheppard Kanuho. Derek joined very close knit families which include brother Daryl Kanuho (Rebecca), sisters Kerry Ann Kanuho (Robert Gertonson), Kimberly Ann Butler (Jerrod), and Marissa Ann McCabe. Derek also had a very strong bond with his grandmother Lorena Sheppard, aunts, uncle, cousins and many members of his extended family. We have to explain why Derek’s nickname is “Squeaky”. Derek could whistle before he could talk and when his uncle Lesley came home from school he would whistle at him so Lesley named him “Squeaky” Although Derek lost his father early in his life, he had many role models including Mr. Alfred Yellowhair, Mr. Joe Brown and Dr. Kelly Reber. Derek could fix anything and his favorite saying was how he learned to work with tools by fiddling with Joe Brown’s tools and lawn mower, but he wished he had learned patience from Joe. Derek said Joe never got upset with him even when he pulled up all of Joe’s newly planted tomatoes. Derek attended three schools in Flagstaff; Cromer elementary, Mount Elden Middle School and Coconino High School and also at Fremont Jr. High in Mesa. He graduated from Coconino High School in 1997 and made lifelong friends while attending these schools. Right after high school he went to Universal Technical Institute to study Diesel Mechanic and worked as an electrical apprentice while going to school. In 1999 he joined the US Marines and trained to fly helicopters and as a mechanic. Derek was honorably discharge with the rank of Lance Corporal as a Helicopter Crew Chief. In 2000 Derek moved to Salt Lake City where he met his wife Leah Janice Kimble, and they were married November 10, 2005 and bought a home in Tooele Utah. April 7, 2006 was the happiest day of Derek’s life when his daughter McKayla Lynn Kanuho was born. Derek was always a proud and doting father and made sure McKayla had the best of everything. Derek was always a hard worker, while attending the University of Utah he also worked as an electronic technician, the Veteran’s Administration and Department of Veteran Affairs. In 2009 Derek graduated from the University of Utah with a BS in Physics. He worked as an Applications Engineer in the Mining Division of Arnold Machinery and had just been promoted to Western Regional Parts Manager. Derek was also in the process of applying to BYU’s Law School to study Patent Law. Derek had so many interests and some of his favorite past times are his motorcycles, snowboarding, cars, electronics, going to the pistol range, baking, grilling, and making the best smoked ribs. Also, he enjoyed taking his daughter skiing, fishing and watching movies. He shared the motorcycle interest with his brother Daryl, they raced dirt bikes in the WORCS racing circuit and both have brought home several awards. Derek and Daryl started racing motorcycles in high school with just their mother as their pit crew but acquired many more crew members including their wives and other family members. Derek and Daryl traveled to several western states to race dirt bikes. Derek had a fleet of dirt bikes, a bullet bike, and he even had is daughter riding a pink ATC. Derek also had every electronic gadget made, he even built a special entertainment room just for his electronics that he called his “man cave” Derek’s life will be celebrated Saturday August 13, 2011 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Chapel, 2401 East Linda Vista Drive, Flagstaff, Arizona. Services will be held at 10:00 am and the viewing will be held from 9:00 am to 10:00 am at the Church. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to McKayla Kanuho’s educational fund in memory of Derek Kanuho. Contributions can be made at any Wells Fargo Bank under Leah J. Kanuho.
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