Derita Tharp, 89, of Louisville, Ky., passed away June 8 at the McLeod Hospice House in Florence, S.C. She was born September 22, 1930 in Henry County, Kentucky and moved to Louisville in the early 1950s where she lived until 2016 when she moved to South Carolina.
She was preceded in death by her loving husband Jim, who passed away in 2018, and her loving daughter Dina, who passed away in 2015. Derita and Jim were high school sweethearts and were married for 70 years. She is survived by her son, Kerry (Debbie); two grandsons, J.B. (Catherine) and Will; three great grandsons, Coleman, Joshua, and Owen and her sister Wilma Foster (Jim).
Derita was a devoted mom, Grandmomma, GG, and sister. She was a homemaker most of her adult life and also worked for two decades as a school patrol guard in the Jefferson County (Ky.) School System. She was a superb cook and Gmomma’s meals were legendary. She spent the biggest part of her day in the kitchen preparing delicious meals for her family and friends. Derita shared her family’s love of sports, too, with her favorite teams the Louisville Cardinals and the South Carolina Gamecocks. She also followed NASCAR later in life and her favorite driver was Tony Stewart.
Derita was a faithful member of Melbourne Heights Baptist Church in Louisville for nearly 60 years and member of the Ruth Sunday School Class.
She will go back home to Kentucky to be buried alongside her husband and daughter. The family will have a graveside service Wednesday, June 10 at 2 p.m. at the Sligo (Ky.) Baptist Church Cemetery.
Derita loved her family dearly and always put them first. The family would like to thank her many friends and all of the care-givers she had, particularly the staff at Elmcroft Assisted Living in Florence, S.C.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to the American Parkinson Disease Association, 135 Parkinson Ave., Staten Island, NY 10305.