Derrick Dewajn Curtis was the son of Lisa Thompson Dunlap (David) and Steven Curtis. He was born on June 15, 1983 and transitioned to his eternal resting place on July 13, 2016. After graduating from Northeast Guilford High School's class of 2002, Derrick honorably served his country as a member of the United States Army, 82nd Airborne. Following his honorable discharge from the army in 2006, he served in the US Army Reserves until 2013. He attended Guilford Technical and Community College where he studied music. Though he was a soldier, he was best known for his passion and extraordinary talent in music. Derrick's musical interests were apparent early in his life. He loved music so much that he decided to make his entrance into the world while his mother and his Uncle Buck were enjoying Jazz on the Plaza. As a student at Northeast High School, Derrick played the saxophone. He also shared his musical talent in the James B. Dudley High School band. He was a versatile producer, vocalist and musician, playing saxophone, keyboard, and trombone to name a few. Upon high school graduation and discharge from the army, Derrick formed his own music production company, DFLN (Dreams from Last Night) Productions. His prolific musical catalog included both vocal and instrumental tracks, some of which can be accessed on soundcloud.com. June 2016 marked the release of his most recent album entitled, "The Way I Feel" and showcased his broad range of musical artistry. Unknown to many, Derrick's voice was his most captivating instrument. His musical works also included innovative collaborations with application development companies and musicians throughout the world. His track, "Mango Mango" was in the top ten in-app purchases for the iTunes mobile app, PlayGround - Music at Your Fingertips in more than 140 countries. London DJ, Josey Rebelle showed Derrick love for his album, "The Way I Feel", naming him her favorite artist in Mixmag. Family was extremely important to Derrick. His sister Maya held a special place in his heart. They shared a very close bond and as Maya's older brother he was very protective of her; Maya in turn adored him. Both Derrick and Maya brought much joy to their Nana and Papa. In many ways, Derrick was a second son to his Uncle Buck. Derrick had no greater fan than his mother, Lisa who celebrated his every success. He cherished her; his last words to his mother were "I love you". Derrick was a loving son, brother, grandson, cousin and friend. Left to cherish his memory are his parents, Lisa and David Dunlap of Browns Summit and Steven Curtis of Greensboro; his sister Maya Mason; his grandparents Carl Thompson, Jr., Lillie Bell Graves Thompson, Novella Curtis and James Curtis preceded him in death. Also left to cherish hismemory are his uncle Carlton "Buck" Thompson (Sharon); Aunts Lesia Curtis-Sides (Jerry), Donna Curtis and Tyra Curtis-White, Davetta Dunlap and Ramona Dunlap. He also shared a special grandparent relationship with Edna and Harvey Pettiford and David Dunlap, Sr.; a loving girlfriend Aillia Milsun; a host of cousins including two very dear cousins Carlissa Robinson (Jermaine) and Jeff Warren; very dear friends, including: Charles Jacobs, Michael Barfield, Michael Watts; musical colleagues: Chris McWayne, Armon Bazille (head of Deepblak), Anton Brewington, Eric Douglas Porter, Paul Gaeta, Marquis Bradshaw, Nigel Geiger, Marcus Peregrine, Thomas Fraser, Brian Steele, Kamaho Adisa, and Gary Wright just to name a few. His musical legacy will live forever in our hearts. A service honoring the life of Derrick will take place at Love and Faith Christian Fellowship Church, 4344 Blackberry Road, Greensboro, North Carolina 27406, on Friday, July 22, 2016. The visitation will begin at 12:30 pm and the service will follow at 1:00 pm.