Derek Michael Clenin's Obituary
Derek Michael Clenin, a man of God, went to Heaven on October 8th, 2024, after a courageous battle with leukemia. Born on June 7th, 1984, Derek immediately began positively impacting those around him with his big smile, his laugh, his inner strength, tireless work ethic, and unwavering spirit. He truly was a relentless force of good in a world that desperately needed people of strong character, and he made a tremendous impact on his community.
Derek centered his life around his Faith in the Lord, his deep love and admiration for his wife and three boys, and his unwavering commitment to positively impact others. Not only did Derek say the right things, but he lived it every day.
Derek spent his entire life here in Memphis making a name for himself and using his leadership to help others around him. Derek attended Memphis University School (MUS) and was a phenomenal student athlete earning numerous academic, leadership, and athletic awards, including: the Alexander Wellford Leadership Award, the WS Roberts Most Valuable Football Award, the James R Haygood III Best All-Around Athlete, was selected Football Team Captain in 2002, was a finalist for the Division 2AAA Mr. Football Award in 2002, was a Finalist for The Commercial Appeal's Best of the Preps Award in football in 2002, was named to The Commercial Appeal's Elite Team for 2002, and ended his career at MUS Ranked 3rd in MUS history for all-purpose yardage in a single season with 1,476 and 4th all-time in rushing yards with 2,411 yards. MUS was a special place to Derek where he met so many incredible people and created lifelong friendships. No matter how much time passed, Derek always felt at home on campus and believed that MUS was such an important institution equipped with young men that would be future leaders and advocates for what’s right in the world.
After graduating from MUS, he went on to earn a scholarship and play football at the University of Memphis where he excelled both athletically and academically. During Derek’s time at the U of M, he was a part of the resurgent Memphis Tiger’s football program where he helped the University of Memphis go back to their first bowl game in over thirty years. In his four-year career, the Tigers earned three consecutive bowl appearances (a first in Tiger history at that point) and he went into battle with many great teammates including notable Tigers: Danny Wimprine, DeAngelo Williams, and Stephen Gostkowski. In addition, Derek earned numerous leadership and athletic awards, including: The Top Tiger Award presented to the player who has battled back from adversity to return to the field, was named to CoSIDA Academic All-District IV team in 2005, was selected C-USA Defensive Player of the Week following the 2005 UTEP contest, and received the Rex Dockery Memorial Scholarship Award in 2003 – which was presented to an incoming Tiger football signee who exemplified the character and work ethic that Coach Dockery lived by.
While Derek made many plays on the field, his biggest accomplishment was earning the respect of his teammates and coaches that secured him a scholarship leading up to his senior season. He will always be remembered as a fierce competitor with a relentless work ethic that bled Tiger Blue!
After graduating and spending some time in the accounting field with Deloitte, Derek eventually made his way to Raymond James where he served as a Director in the Fixed Income Capital Markets within the elite Whole Loan Trading division. There he was able to serve his clients by providing portfolio analysis, developing investment and risk management strategies, and executing trades in loan and securities portfolios. When asked, his colleagues described Derek’s extreme work ethic, the consistent example he set as a leader, his love for the Lord, and his unwavering commitment to his Family. Derek and his team
consistently excelled in serving their clients and regularly ranked as top producers within the Raymond James organization nationally.
Derek also poured his time into educating and mentoring young men as the 7th grade football coach for Memphis University School for over fifteen years. At an age where boys need high quality men pouring into them, Derek stepped up and volunteered his time to mentor young men and instill universal qualities, like giving maximum effort, having attention to detail, holding each other accountable and having love for one another. While Derek will no longer be roaming the sidelines, his legacy will live on forever in the hundreds and hundreds of boys he coached over the years.
Derek achieved so much, but his proudest accomplishments were his family, and he dedicated so much of his time to ensuring they had a solid foundation to build upon. Kristen and his three amazing boys were his rock, his center, his foundation, and what drove him to success. Derek’s love for his family is unmatched and he will continue to encourage, coach, and smile down on them from heaven.
Derek is survived by his beautiful, and loving wife Kristen and their three remarkable boys: Colt (11), Cooper (7), and Cruz (6); his mother and father, Barbara and Ken Clenin; his brother, Daniel Allen (Sara); his nephews: Beckett, James, Drew, Peyton; his mother and father in law, Mike and Nancy Murdock; and his brother and sister in laws, James Murdock (Brooke) and Ashley Murdock.
A Memorial Service and Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, October 19th, at 11am in the Sanctuary at Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis, TN.
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