Derek George Brownsword, 96, of Broadway, passed away Tuesday May 13,2025, at his home. His wife Karen was at his side.

Derek was born April 7, 1929 in Stoke-on-Trent, England, to Jonathan Arthur and Constance Lilian Brownsword. Arthur was a bus conductor and Connie a homemaker. Derek suffered during the war years with war rations and always being hungry. The boys would beg for "leftovers" from local shops on their way home from school. Shopkeepers were kind. His school was short staffed because the able bodied were sent for war work.  He used to look into the wonderfully appointed but locked shop class and was sad he never learned woodworking and how to handle tools.  He pitied the girls who didn't get home economics schooling either.  They were all thin and sickly during those years.

Derek showed early artistic skill and was apprenticed to Royal Doulton Pottery in his mid-teens.  Most young people graduated at age 14 to learn a trade, unless they were good in science or math.  He received fine art training at the prestigious Burslem School of Art and was soon painting full color plates to be fired in the Doulton bottle Kilns.  He became a decorating manager and was in charge of a large team of figurine painters and decal appliers for their dinnerware department. Later he was proud to be involved in developing a flambé glaze, a high highly specialized red glaze applied to fantastically decorated Chinese style vases. His name can be found on some of these pieces.

Derek sang in several Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, often singing the young male lead.  The day before he passed, he greeted his carer, Brennan, with the typical handshake and a song from The Mikado.  He had a big voice, and Karen could even find him in Walmart by standing still and listening. He was always talking to someone.

In 1978, he came to the US and was sponsored by his sister, Doreen Henshaw.  He worked at pottery and glass factories around the country, retiring from Pfaltzgraff in York, PA.   In 2000 he married Karen, a fellow artistic type.  They moved from Baltimore to Harrisonburg, and both worked at LDA Creations at Silver Lake Mill in Dayton.  Derek painted pottery for sale in the gift shop.  In 2017 Karen retired and they moved to Broadway.

Derek was a disciplined artist.  He specialized in the landscapes of Britain, castles, farms and house portraits, drawing the perspective lines to skillfully place the building on the ground.  Right up to his last week, he had a daily painting habit.  After falling in late 2020, Derek was confined to a wheelchair.  His Home Instead aide, Brennan, was his companion for 4 years, there by his side while Derek painted, finding interesting things to watch on YouTube and enriching his life, with laughter.  He was essential help also in getting out and going places, including a weekly outing to Town & Country Restaurant in Broadway.  Derek was welcomed there, probably the oldest person ever to breakfast there.  Brennan was there right to the last, and supported Karen in the difficult final days, when the care and decision making grew much harder.  Thanks go out to his caregivers at Sentara Timberway and to First Choice Hospice for their exemplary care in Derek's final week.

Derek was predeceased by his older brother Claude Arthur and his sister Doreen, who had three sons and several grandchildren.  Derek has two children, Lynn and Paul, from his first marriage with Madge Brownsword.  Lynn and husband Mike Cubley have four children, Heather, Robert, Andrew and Christopher. Robert has one daughter, Ella Louise.  This branch of the family live in England.  Derek's son Paul Brownsword and wife Celina, of Pennsylvania, have two children, David and Daniel.  Derek was lucky to have a good relationship with his children and visited England to keep up ties with Lynn's family.  His family is warmly welcoming of Karen in their lives.  Karen's branch of the family are her brother Dave Schillerstrom and wife Luanne Lukes, of Falls Church; and her sister Linda Schillerstrom and husband Steve Schechter or Irvine California.  All have been good friends to Derek.

Grandle Funeral Home is handling final arrangements and cremation.

A memorial service will be held at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 725 South High Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22801, where Derek and Karen are members, on Saturday July 19, 2025 at 3:00 pm.