Capt. Frederick Mueller Derr, USNR (Ret.), 92, passed away peacefully on the morning of April 2, 2025, surrounded by his family. A rare individual with a deep well of resilience and a gift for transforming challenges into opportunities, Fred’s life was one of purpose, leadership, and service. He is survived by his wife, Terri Derr; his three daughters, Elizabeth, Katherine, and Charlotte; and his siblings, Jane, Wayne, John, and Lucy. He was preceded in death by his brothers, Steve Derr and Gary Derr.
Fred was born in 1932. His early years were marked by profound change. His father, Ferdinand Earl Mueller, passed away when Fred was only two years old. Four years later, his mother Bernice Yeager Mueller remarried John R. Derr, who adopted Fred and became a guiding force in his life.
The family moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 1940, where Fred graduated from high school in 1950. When his adoptive father took a new position at Palmer Bank in Sarasota, the family relocated there. After high school, Fred initially struggled to find work, despite trying various jobs—from construction with Powell Brothers to bell hopping at the John Ringling Hotel, and later working for Plaza Restaurant, owned by friends of his father.
Realizing he wanted more for his future, Fred set his sights on the United States Naval Academy. Without political connections for a nomination, his mother introduced him to Eldridge Boyd, a local developer who encouraged him to pursue the opportunity. Fred took the competitive entrance exam—one of 200 applicants vying for a single congressional appointment. Knowing the odds were slim, he didn’t wait idly. In 1952, he boarded a train to Navy Boot Camp in San Diego and enlisted as an Electronics Technician Seaman Recruit while awaiting the results. Six weeks into boot camp, a telegram arrived: Representative James Haley had awarded Fred the lone congressional appointment to the Naval Academy. After completing basic training, he was assigned to the Special Services Division until he transferred to the Naval Academy in Annapolis in 1953.
After graduating from the United States Naval Academy, Fred was commissioned into the U.S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps. On the day of his graduation, he married Carol E. Membert, beginning a life together grounded in shared values of education, service, and purpose. He later earned his Bachelor of Civil Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1959.
His distinguished naval career included tours in Southeast Asia, the Maryland Naval Propellant Plant, Tulane University, Morocco, New Jersey, and a master’s degree in civil engineering. In 1967, Fred resigned his regular commission to accept a position in the Naval Reserve and joined Wendel Kent’s highway construction company, where he found in Wendel Kent a lifelong mentor.
Fred eventually became the majority owner of the company—renamed Frederick Derr and Company in 1991 —and a minority owner in Gator Asphalt and Quality Aggregates. Under his leadership, the firm thrived and grew in influence throughout Florida.
In 1988, Fred’s brother Wayne introduced him to Terri Elbare Shaw, a fellow marathon runner and Realtor. They had met at races years earlier, and the connection soon blossomed into a strong partnership. Terri had known Fred’s mother and attended school with his sister Lucy Patton. Fred and Terri married and shared 37 vibrant years of travel, running, and community engagement.
Fred had three daughters from his first marriage to Carol—each of whom went on to successful careers. Elizabeth Derr and Dr. Charlotte Derr reside in Tampa, FL, while Katherine Derr lives in Sarasota.
Fred’s dedication to his community was unwavering. He served in leadership and philanthropic roles across many organizations: Mote Marine Laboratory (Chairman Emeritus), the Argus Foundation (Executive Committee), the Asphalt Contractors Association of Florida (President), Citizens for a Better Sarasota (Treasurer), Citizens for Better Schools (Co-Founder), Rotary Club of Sarasota, La Musica International Chamber Music Festival (President), Florida Engineering Society, Sarasota Military Academy (Treasurer), and the Seabee Memorial Scholarship Fund.
He was recognized throughout his career for his professional achievements and technical expertise. In 1989, he was named Engineer of the Year by the Florida Engineering Society Myakka Chapter. In 1999, he received the Outstanding Technical Achievement Award from the same chapter for his work on the design and construction of a coastal protection structure on Casey Key. In 2013, Fred received the Argus Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award and was the longest-serving trustee of the Board at Mote Marine Laboratory. Most recently, in 2022, he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Gulf Coast Builder’s Exchange.
Fred Derr lived a life of service, determination, and compassion. His legacy will live on in the countless lives he touched, the institutions he shaped, and the family he loved so deeply. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Fred’s memory may be made to Mote Marine Laboratory, the Argus Foundation, La Musica International Chamber Music Festival, Sarasota Military Academy, or the Seabee Memorial Scholarship Fund.