Recently, Derby lost one of its longest-tenured former political representatives and a true community champion following the passing of Don Myers.
Myers had been battling health issues following a stroke suffered 11 years ago. Prior to that, though, Myers had a long career serving Derby as a state legislator in the Kansas House of Representatives. He was the state representative for Derby’s District 82 for nearly two decades.
Prior to getting into politics, Myers served in the Navy on the USS Midway during the Korean War. Following that, Myers entered a career in mechanical engineering, working for over 30 years at Gates Learjet and Boeing, primarily. After his retirement, Myers got into politics and represented Derby in the Kansas Legislature for 18 years that, per his obituary, were “the most enjoyable and rewarding of his career.”
“Dad wanted to protect the families in his community and promote moral and fiscal responsibility at the state level with good legislation,” said Lane Myers, one of his sons. “That is why he decided to make a difference for his town and spend the next 18 years doing that. He never stopped giving back to his community.”
While a native of southeast Kansas, Myers had made Derby his home for nearly 50 years. Along with his late wife, Mary, they were heavily invested in Derby. Both worked in local real estate for several years. Meanwhile, with his military background, Myers was also involved in both the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars.
The Myers were also members of South Rock Christian Church (formerly First Christian Church) of Derby for several decades — and that commitment remand firm through Myers’ working years and beyond.
“Dad was a good and kind man. He served his Lord, family and country well,” Lane noted. "Dad‘s real retirement did not begin until 79. He never did stop being active; he devoted his spare time to serving as a groundskeeper for South Rock Christian Church.”
For both Don and Mary’s commitment to serving the Derby community, former Mayor Randy White recognized the couple with the Mayor’s Award of Excellence back in 2018.
White noted it was a “true honor” to award the Myers, whom he knew through their daughter, Sherry Wayman, prior to politics.
Even this past year, with his health fading, White recalled seeing Myers while walking in Derby’s annual Independence Day Parade.
“That was Don. Don always showed up to things, even when he was struggling,” White said. "You never went to the cemetery and he wasn’t there as part of those [Memorial Day] celebrations at El Paso.”
As far as his time in the Kansas House of Representatives, White also spoke highly of Myers’ service. It was noted in his obituary that he strove to improve existing laws and eliminate useless, bad ones.
Moreover, White noted that Myers was committed to being a true community representative in his role as legislator.
“When it came to being one of our state representatives, Don was not about Don. Don was about what was the right thing to do,” White said. “ He was not a vote down the party line guy; he would work for it and get the right thing to vote on. That’s who Don was.”
“His contributions to Derby were to represent our values, the Derby values, at the state level,” White added.
And in the opinion of current Sedgwick County Commissioner Jim Howell, and plenty of others, Myers did an exceptional job.
Howell always had an interest in politics and eventually came to the realization that he would like to run for state representative. As happy as he was with Myers’ service, though — always putting supportive political signs up in his yard — Howell had no desire to replace him.
When Myers announced he was stepping down and not seeking re-election in 2011, Howell saw an opportunity to carry the torch. He very quickly filed for election after that and asked to meet with Myers at the Village Inn in Derby, to which the retiring legislator graciously agreed.
Admittedly, Howell — who ultimately succeeded Myers in filling the District 82 seat — knew some but not a lot about serving as a state representative at that time. After that friendly meeting with Myers in which Howell “asked him a million questions,” though, he had a general road map on how to go about that role.
“Thinking back about that, he essentially handed me a baton and said here’s how you do this, here’s what you need to know about this,” Howell said. “I looked up to the position because Don really made it something where I had the highest opinion of someone who served in that role. I just thought they had to be an amazing person.”
“He had all the right pieces to be a good legislator,” Howell added.
One of the last memories Howell has of Myers is also at this year’s Derby Independence Day Parade, where he remembered seeing Myers in a wheelchair along the route, waving a flag — “patriotic to his core,” as Howell put it.
Both Howell and White recalled his track record in the legislature, too. Myers was traditionally pro-life and voted for tougher abortion laws throughout his political career.
Myers also served as utilities committee chairman throughout his tenure as a state representative. Speaking to his ability to look to both sides of an issue and do what was right, as White put it, Howell also remembered Myers being heavily involved in getting the Kansas Indoor Clean Air Act passed as well as pushing for energy diversification throughout the state.
“To this day, I’ll always look up to him because he was a tremendous leader,” Howell said. “There will never be another Don Myers. He was a legacy.”