Derby was born on September 25, 1948, in
Eldon, Missouri. He later graduated from
Claremore High School in
Claremore, Oklahoma, in 1966. He went on to receive a
Bachelor of Science in
Biology from the
University of Tulsa in 1971 and a
Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from the
Kansas City University of Osteopathic Medicine in 1975. After finishing his degree, he worked in
St. Louis at the Normandy Osteopathic Hospital until 1976. After leaving St. Louis, he joined the
United States Navy as a
lieutenant colonel. He served for three years and spent time in
Guam. After leaving the Navy in 1979, Derby spent sixteen years in private practice as a primary care physician in
Farmington, Missouri, before moving to
Fresno, California, to serve as chief of an anesthesiology department. In 2004 Derby moved to
Owasso, Oklahoma. ==Oklahoma House of Representatives==