Robert Ira "Bob" Derck passed peacefully on January 26th, 2016 surrounded by his wife, Dawn, and children. Bob was a loving husband, father, grandfather, community member, landscape architect and land planner extraordinaire… and he was always "the life of the party".

He was born in Abington, PA, graduated from Abington High School and then attended Centre College (KY) before graduating with a Bachelor Degree in Landscape Architecture from Syracuse University (1955). He served as an officer in the US Army Corps of Engineers. Bob joined local landscape architect's Paul McCloud and Buck Scatchard, with fellow Syracuse grad Charlie Edson, to form McCloud, Scatchard, Derck and Edson (now Derck & Edson)…one of the top land planning and landscape architecture firms in the U.S. Bob, and the teams he led, designed and oversaw the construction of many iconic places in the region, including: Lancaster County Central Park, Franklin & Marshall College, Old Town Lancaster, Greenfield Corporate Center, the Willow Valley Community and dozens of schools, colleges, parks and public spaces.

In 1984, Bob and his partners were presented an award by First Lady Nancy Reagan for their design excellence on Lancaster's Steinman Park. In Lititz, Bob's designs can be seen in the "pretzel"-themed historic Lititz signs downtown, Zum Anker Alley (now the Bulls Head patio), Lititz Springs Park and throughout the town. He served as President of the American Business Club of Lititz, President of the Lititz Historical Society, Chairman the Lititz Zoning Board, Secretary-Treasurer of the Warwick Ambulance, Trustee of the Lititz Moravian Church, Trustee of Linden Hall, Board Member of Moravian Manor, Board Member of the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster and Local Advisory Board Member of Fulton Bank. He is fondly remembered as the comical character, in and co-screenwriter of, numerous amazing AMBUC community plays, a fabulous dancer and humorous story-teller at local functions, a loyal golf and bridge partner and the designer of some of the most fantastically beautiful gardens and landscapes in the area.

He is survived by his wife Dawn, his children Rob Derck (Lititz, PA), Linda Derck Majikes (Richmond, VA) and Gary Derck (Durango, CO), three stepchildren, Steven, Gregory and Suzanne High, five grandsons and ten step-grandchildren.

Friends are invited to gather Friday January 29th from 1:30-2:30 PM at the Charles F. Snyder, Jr. Funeral Home & Crematory, 3110 Lititz Pike, Lititz, PA 17543. A memorial service will follow at 2:30 PM.

Memorial contributions may be made to Moravian Manor, 300 W. Lemon St. Lititz, PA 17543 and directed to help complete Bob's final garden project.