"At the same time," says the Lord, "I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people." Jeremiah 31:1

Timothy O'Brient Derricott departed his earthly home on Tuesday, October 28, 2025. Timothy was a resident of Washington, D.C for more than forty years. His origin began in Caroline County, Virginia where he lived until graduating from Ladysmith High School in the year 1977. Among his immediate family members were his mother, Dorothy McNeill (deceased), and stepfather, Oscar McNeil (deceased),who raised Timothy to become a well-grounded individual in society, four brothers: Gregory and Dwight Derricott (both deceased), Ronald and Mark McNeill. His sister, Roslyn McNeill, is the twin to Ronald

Back in the day, Timothy's father, Albert Lee Shelton, Jr. added several more children who became brothers and sisters to Gregory, Dwight, and Timothy. The brothers and sisters are Albert Tillman (deceased), Michael Shelton, Jeffery Shelton (Linda), Deborah Thomas, Larita Johnson (Delroy), Rosita Shelton, and Jean Toliver (Alfred). Albert Lee Shelton, Jr., affectionately known as "Sonny Boy" appreciated all of his children and he lived alongside them in the Gum Tree, Montpelier communities.

"Timmy" spent many days at his grandma's house, Elver Anderson Derricott, as a young boy. This Christian woman knew that God was the head of all families, therefore she invested time in crafting Timmy to become the family historian. Unknowingly, she planted a seed that would lead Timmy to discover the genealogy of the Anderson and Derricott families. Grandma defined family as a sacred unit and a necessary foundation for prosperity among God's Negro people. Timmy sought to dedicate his life to learning about ancestral births, death dates, homeplaces, family events, and secret family relationships. Thus, Timmy could recall actual names of many members of his Grandma's generation all the way down to the family's present fourth generation. In fact, Timmy lived his present life living in the yesteryears of deceased family members. He polished this unique skill with two of his devoted cousins, Sandy and Glenda, during lengthy phone calls. His phone calls always began with, "Do you know….? Or I saw on Facebook….. Let us remember Timmy as a scholar and historian of our families' heritage.

Timmy had a wealth of loyal friends beginning in high school, to college (NSU), in the military (U.S. Army) and in his city's apartment building. His friends lived in various places from southern Georgia to Richmond, and in the nation's capital, Washington, D.C. If Timmy did not know you, he quickly made you his friend. He was a man of many informal conversations, laughs, and jokes. He loved to engage in comical, witty, and old sayings. Some were sensible while others were just silly. His goal was to always create laughter and cheer. This conversation technique made one cheerful while making him lovable, optimistic, and confident. We adored the twinkle in his eyes and his smile which revealed his wide gap between his front teeth. We loved Timmy!

Timothy's life-long partner, Kevin Jayson was a perfect match. The two men emboldened the sitcom TV actors Felix and Alex, the Odd Couple from the 1970s. Timmy and Kevin had opposite personalities. They engaged in heated disagreements, but  would end the day with laughter and ultimately finding common ground. They supported family by attending social events, sending monetary gifts to cousins, nieces, and nephews for birthdays. They found joy traveling to football games, and far away vacation spots. Families could always call on them for advice about caregiving, Washington D.C. directions, and problem-solving strategies. They were compassionate listeners to anyone who needed to talk. They were accessible twenty-four seven!

Timothy is survived by his devoted and loving sister, Roslyn McNeill, his brothers, Ronald and Mark McNeill, his life-long partner, Kevin Jayson, The Anderson, Derricott, McNeill, Shelton, Cary and Jayson families. There many, many cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends. Special friends include Kirk, Jan, Ava, Sylvester, Bob, Helnick, Sharon, God-sister, Dell Tucker.