DEREK REA: 1954 - 2008

The drug policy reform movement lost a dedicated activist and a great
human being when Derek Rea died earlier this week.

Regular readers of DrugSense Weekly enjoyed his work with every
issue, as he was the person who sifted through all the Media
Awareness Project's published letters to the editor in order to
choose a Letter of the Week.

And as a long-time MAP editor, Derek made sure we all had the latest news.

Both jobs were completely voluntary and rather repetitive, but Derek
seemed honored to do them for roughly a decade. He had great respect
for letter writers and other activists, though he insisted his own
work was minor compared to some. But his efforts were crucial. Those
efforts touched many while blossoming into other types of activism.

Derek was in the construction business by trade but some who knew him
first through email before meeting him in person may have mistaken
him for a graduate student inspired by the idealism of youth.

He was passionate about justice and very well-read on the subject, as
well as on other subjects. (Derek was also published author, having
written "The Big Black Book of Scanner Frequencies.")

But far from taking up a cause as a passing fancy, Derek had seen
injustice up close. That's one of the reasons he did volunteer work
early in the morning, even when he had to be at a job site by 6 a.m.

Despite his awesome work ethic, Derek was a fun and uplifting person
to be around.

After he got to know someone, he might have shown them the tattoo on
his chest - "Genesis 1:12." Look it up in the King James Bible: "And
the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind,
and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his
kind: and God saw that it was good." A marvellous refutation for
fundamentalist cannabis haters, the tattoo fit Derek well - subtly
understated, but totally righteous.

Derek was an amazing friend. When his friends were in tight
situations, or if Derek just thought they needed help, he was there,
offering unconditional support.

He spoke in a southern Illinois drawl sometimes peppered with the
kind of language you're likely to encounter on a construction site or
the in the streets of East St. Louis, but his manner and demeanor
were infinitely polite.

Asked to join the Board of Directors of Illinois NORML a few years
ago, Derek was clearly flattered but also completely humble. He knew
he couldn't pass it up, but he said he wondered what he had to offer,
as if he hadn't been working every day for all those years.

Once on the Illinois NORML Board, he rarely missed a meeting, even
though he had a five hour drive to get up to Chicago where the
meetings usually took place.

Derek understood the value of cannabis. He loved the compassion
clubs in California and was moved to write about one he visited
during a NORML conference. His report was published in this space (
see http://www.drugsense.org/dsw/2002/ds02.n267.html#sec6 ).

When he was diagnosed with acute leukemia several months ago, he knew
cannabis would be a powerful weapon in the battle. Indeed, Derek said
he had helped others when they were in similar situations, but didn't
truly understand how important it was until he became sick himself.

While he was in the hospital for treatment, he would lament about how
guilty he felt for having the only medicine that worked, while
everyone else on his floor suffered.

He said it was so horrible to hear their agony, and some days two or
three other patients on the floor would lose their battles. Nurses
and doctors flocked to his room for respite, as he was quite cheerful
under the circumstances and clearly thriving through the treatment
(he actually gained weight, instead of losing it), while so many
other languished in misery.

His type of leukemia is almost impossible to overcome, however, he
had gotten back to work and was otherwise doing great. His doctors
were totally amazed at his recovery. They are all aware of his
secret medicine by now, so he surely made a huge impact on them.

Derek had just finished another round of chemotherapy last week.
Monday June 16, 2008, his wife, Eileen took him back to the hospital,
but he could not overcome the pneumonia that developed the day before.

In addition to Eileen, who he described as his soul mate, he leaves
his mother, four daughters, and four grandchildren.

Derek often said it was difficult to be an activist in the socially
conservative area in which he lived, so locally he kept a rather low
profile. He feared discovery and he feared drug tests on the job,
yet he continued sifting through those letters, editing those news
stories, and helping other patients.

His local obituary highlights his activism. The second paragraph
starts this way: "Mr. Rea was an active volunteer with NORML and the
Media Awareness Project."

The word "active" just barely captures his dedication. And to say he
will be missed horribly just barely captures the loss.

Danielle Schumacher is the founder of UIUC NORML/SSDP, an Illinois
NORML Board Member and former Chancellor of Oaksterdam University.
Stephen Young is an editor with DrugSense Weekly, an Illinois NORML
Board Member and author of the book "How To Inhale The Universe
Without Wheezing."