Derek's 40th Birthday

Wherever Derek Keeling went he touched lives. He always left a bit of happiness in his path and we're all sadder without him. As we approach what would have been his 40th birthday we'll lift our glass and share what he meant to us. And the end of this blog is a giveaway for some goodies - including Derek's album.

Mike Milton Derek was 23 and I was 15 when we met, and he was a mentor to me and one of my theatre heroes. We met on our first professional jobs together in Panama City Beach at Miracle Strip Amusement Park where we had free passes to the water park across the street, sang Karaoke many nights at a dive bar on the strip called Donovan’s, and we may or may not have gone skinny dipping in the Gulf of Mexico with some of our other cast mates one awesome ‘Summer Night’. Derek then made it on Broadway as the role he was born to play, ‘Danny Zuko’, in Grease, and when I sat front row to watch him he came up and gave me a high five during bows. He let me sleep on his air mattress at his apartment in Queens. And I’ll never forget helping him get the biggest couch in the world in that walk-up apartment, where I am sure I probably still resides to this day because there is no way anyone could have ever gotten it back out! Lol There are more memories, but these are some that come to mind immediately. I miss him very much. He left us too soon.

Tiana Checchia Jones

Mattew Hydzik

Michael Angel

Derek had such a passion for life and for performing and he was unstoppable. Whatever passions you have, may you continue with that same drive.

Keith Varney

Derek and I met almost fifteen years ago, through our mutual friend Devon. He was a performer in a reading of one of my musicals and we were fast friends. We only lived a few blocks away from each other in Astoria Queens at the time. We played football in Astoria Park with a group of friends every Sunday and played a lot of Xbox (his tag on my console was Zukodius… ha) We played music together and his talent was clear right away. But what I remember best about him was that he was a fundamentally decent guy. He laughed easily and was kind. He never had anything bad to say about anyone, and that was tremendously refreshing. Our shared love of sports was one of the things we connected on and he took me and Devon along when he sang the National Anthem for a New York Giants game. We were the field for kickoff and watched the game from a press box. It was one of the most exciting things I’d ever done. He could have taken anyone, but he knew how much it would mean to me to be there. He was a generous and thoughtful man. He is missed.

Owen Robertson

I wrote the book and lyrics for the two person musical "Connect/Disconnect" for which Derek won Best Actor in a Musical at the Midtown Festival Awards. He was even better looking in person, he was a better actor than given credit for (the second act of "C/D" cast him as a straigh cross dressing father on the verge of divorce) and for the London set Act One had a killer English accent. We had a horrible director but both Derek and Heather Laws (Amy in John Doyle's "Company") overcame to give wonderful performances. It was so sad to hear about his passing a couple years ago

Natalie Weaver

This first photo is my favorite picture of Derek and I. It was either very late at night, or very early in the morning, on a bus, heading to an airport, or driving on to our next venue. He was the most beautiful human I had ever met, so I didn't assume we would immediately become the best of friends. He was quirky; he was goofy. He loved to laugh, and that's what we did together all the time. We laughed; we joked; we were goofy; we simply enjoyed each other's company and quirks. When we weren't laughing, you might find us crying. We both felt big feelings, and when one of us needed to vent, cry, scream, or curse the world, the other one was always ready to listen with a bottle of wine and our full attention. I loved his laugh. I loved his smile. I'm so lucky he let me be his friend for all time.

Devon Goffman

Derek was the quintessential Supportive Friend. He took friendship VERY seriously. He would have literally done anything for me. And vice versa. He was a cheerleader. He would show up no matter what. Whether I was performing in a big production, a tiny reading, or in a black box theatre... he was there. He would roar loudly. His laugh filled the room. It brings me such joy to think of his laugh. Infectious laugh filled with PURE JOY. I would be up on stage and say something “relatively funny” and he would give his hearty Derek Keeling laugh. I am lucky to have known him. He always saw the best in me & pushed me to believe in myself & my talent. I watched HIM sing the anthem in Giants Stadium, SLAY Danny Zuko on NBC & on Broadway, and perform all over the country... and yet he was MY cheerleader. We had an amazing time in Vegas, seeing Zoomanity & taking in the town! We went to Oakland A’s vs St. Louis Cardinals game in Oakland. (We got on the field to watch batting practice.) I got to join him when he sang the anthem at Giants Stadium in New Jersey & sit in the luxury box... what a life. I remember calling a home run that Alex Pujols hit... he was astonished! We laughed and had the best time. Baseball will forever remind me of him. I miss him so much. Friends like him...ONE in a lifetime.

Laura Osnes

It isn’t too hard to see, we’re in Heaven. Miss ya, Derek. Xo

Scott Moreau

Lauren Stanford

Kristin

I chose this picture because it was the first one we took together, March 2007 at the Grease: You're the One That I Want After Party on the CBS backlot. It was the start of years of friendship and laughter. Derek always had a smile for me and I miss our moments together. They'll never be enough. We playful fought about the Yankees vs the Phillies. I grew increasingly pretend mad at him during the 2009 World Series. We chatted about the merits of Smallville. A wonderful roller coaster ride I would take all over again. I miss him every day and know we're all better for having known him.