Joseph Beecham Derry Jr., 91, of Clearwater, Florida, passed away on October 19, 2026, following complications from a stroke suffered in August. He was born in Chester Heights, PA to the late Joseph Beecham Derry Sr. and Florence McLaine Derry. He preceded in death by his sister Patricia Derry Wicks.
Joseph, affectionately called “Joe” or “Bubby” is survived by his son, Joseph Beecham Derry III and his wife, Sheila; his daughter, Julienne Beth Worthington and her husband, Dan; and his daughter, Jennifer Elaine Carroll and her husband, Gemere. Grandchildren: Rene Derry, Devon Joseph, Destiny Faith, Moriah Paige Derry, and Ryan Matthew Worthington, and 3 great-grandchildren: Kameron Joseph Derry, Giovanni Joseph Derry and Kaidence Derry.
Joe grew up in Chester Heights and on the homestead farm in Cheyney Pennsylvania. He loved the outdoors. When Joe was about 15 yrs old, his Uncle Norwood taught him how to hunt muskrats, skin them and sell the fur and meat. His entrepreneurial spirit was brought to life. Joe became a Boy Scout at 9 yrs old. He was a Life Scout by 15. Because the YMCA had segregated pools, he did not earn his Life Saving Merit Badge thus, not becoming an Eagle Scout. It was an achievement he often said he regretted not attaining.
Joe loved the outdoors and his first love was horses. He learned how to ride horses while in elementary school. As a young man, Joe would work at stables just to get to ride. His Uncle Smitty was a horse transporter, and Joe would spend some summers traveling with him picking up and delivering horses from Saratoga NY, to Leesburg VA. He enjoyed fox hunting and annually attended the Devon Horse Show. He played polo and was an avid horse rider well into his 70s.
Joseph worked for his Uncle Lawerence Derry in construction from the time he was 14 and even after he returned from the Army. It was with his uncle where he honed his construction skills. Joe graduated from Media High School in 1954. In 1955 Joe enlisted in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers where he helped survey and build the Strategic Air Command (S.A.C.) Base in England with a 10,000-foot main runway and more than five miles of taxiways. Once out of the service, Joe earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering from Temple University. In 1962, he married Barbara Wilson, and together they raised three children: Joseph III, Julienne, and Jennifer. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1982.
In April of 1968, the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. prompted Joe to give his 2 weeks’ notice the next morning with Turner Construction Company and start Derry Construction Company. The company operated successfully until the 1970 construction trade union strike forced its closure. But quickly after dissolving Derry Construction Company, he was approached by Architect Alexander Ewing to start a pioneering minority-owned construction management firm. That was the birth of Parametric Inc. in 1970. Parametric Inc. successfully operated until 2002.
Among the many notable projects Joe worked on or managed during his distinguished career were:
- Winterthur Estate stonework projects through Lawrence N. Derry’s company
- 1500 Walnut Street Building, Philadelphia (Turner Construction)
- Meadowlands Sports Complex and Meadowlands Racetrack, New Jersey
- Georgia International Horse Park for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games
- Friends Center World Headquarters, Philadelphia
- 1818 Market Street, Philadelphia
- Northeast Corridor Improvement Project (NECIP) from Washington to Boston
- City College of New York projects for the New York Dormitory Authority
- PennDOT transportation and bridge projects
- The Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT) Expansion Project—often associated with the I-64 corridor between Hampton and Norfolk, Virginia
- University of the District of Columbia, a $75 million project he specifically mentions winning over major national firms.
Joe cherished family reunions which were annual from 1939 to 1992. Sunday dinners were a tradition at the Derry homestead on Locksley Road. Attending Thornbury A.M.E Church was a must growing up. His warmth, wisdom, humor, and storytelling made family gatherings memorable. Joe will be remembered not only for what he built, but for the people he uplifted. Throughout his career, Joe focused heavily on creating pathways for African American engineers and minority-owned enterprises to bid on and secure high-profile municipal and international projects. He faced challenges with courage, met obstacles with determination, and inspired others through his integrity, generosity, and unwavering belief in the power of education and hard work. His legacy lives on in the family he loved the communities he helped build, and the countless lives he influenced.
For more than 200 years, the Derry family embodied a spirit of determination, hard work, and entrepreneurship. From Samuel Derry’s lumber mill and land-clearing business in the early 1800s to Lawrence N. Derry’s Construction Company that helped develop the landscape of the area to Joe’s leadership of Derry Construction Company and Parametric, Inc., each generation built upon the accomplishments of those before them. His life’s work reflected not only the buildings and infrastructure he helped create, but also the opportunities he created for others and the family heritage he worked to preserve. He leaves behind a legacy of faith, perseverance, leadership, and service that will inspire future generations.
