The Professor's children

[Ben James 1]

Does anyone know if Dai's sons, Derek and Edward are still alive and what they are up to?
I know Derek had an incident where his house caught fire and he was badly burned - http://www.lohud.com/article/20111210/N ... troys-home

But apart from that I am curious to know what they are both up to.
Are any members of his family - grandchildren etc - invloved in magic in anyway?
Thankyou,

Ben.

[Leonard Hevia]

Check the September 2015 issue of Genii. On page 56 you will see a photo of Vernon's great grandson Clark De Bevoise with his companion Erika Stolle visiting the Magic Castle.

[performer]

I got on very well with Derek. When he got banned from here I invited him on to the Buskers Cafe where he was allowed to get drunk to his heart's content. When he was sober he praised me to the skies so naturally I liked him even more.

[Roger M.]

Derek (as D. Derek Verner) is a legend in the model train world. Beginning in the 70's, he wrote some benchmark articles in assorted model train publications. He is praised to this day by contemporary train modelers.

Edward's home was where Dai lived his last couple of years, and where he was living when he passed away.

Both are in their 80's or 90's, and no doubt taking things easy.

[Joe Mckay]

Here is a short post I made on a forum once:

PHOENIX MAGAZINE

In issue 200 (April 7, 1950) there are three effects by a chap called Nepomuk. It turns out that this person is David Derek ‘Neepie’ Verner - Dai Vernon’s second son.

The effects are a coin penetration, a bent-and-restored-spoon idea and a clever vanish of a wire coat hanger.

Something for the Vernon fans...

[Richard Kaufman]

Didn't Derek Verner die?

[performer]

David Ben would know, I imagine.

[Terry]

Could this be Derek Verner?
http://www.lookupanyone.com/namelistings/david-verner.html?recordid=0CV5VV75RSW

Searching the California Obituary Db, there is nothing for either Edward Wingfield Verner or Ted W. Verner
http://californiaobits.tributes.com/search/obituaries/?solr=&first=theodore&last=Verner&city=&state=CA&search_type=All&dod=&keywords=

[Ted M]

Derek had some interesting posts here a number of years back. They were anonymized in the Great Genii Account Purge, but the posts remained.

I'm having trouble finding them again.

[Joe Pecore]

Derek had some interesting posts here a number of years back. They were anonymized in the Great Genii Account Purge, but the posts remained.

I'm having trouble finding them again.

Here is one thread I think: viewtopic.php?t=2319

[Leo Garet]

Derek had some interesting posts here a number of years back. They were anonymized in the Great Genii Account Purge, but the posts remained.

I'm having trouble finding them again.

Here is one thread I think: viewtopic.php?t=2319

Thanks Joe, but Blimey. I'm not sorry I missed that.

[Tom Gilbert]

Yeah, I remember reading them as they showed up. He could be a little off the wall, that's for sure. But, it would be nice, if he had stayed sober to tap into some of his memories.

[Richard Kaufman]

Both of Dai Vernon's sons are alive and well, I have been informed.

[Ted M]

Derek had some interesting posts here a number of years back. They were anonymized in the Great Genii Account Purge, but the posts remained.

I'm having trouble finding them again.

Here is one thread I think: viewtopic.php?t=2319

Thanks Joe. There was an earlier one, one of the first he participated in, where he talked about how his mother didn't like magicians in the house, but Garrick Spencer and (I think) Francis Carlyle were always welcome. This wasn't stated there, but I believe Spencer was somewhat of a financial benefactor for Vernon at that point. I'd like to find that thread, but I'm coming up empty.

[Leonard Hevia]

Garrick Spencer was definitely patronizing Vernon in the 1930s and 40s. The New York Inner Circle was also created at his suggestion.

[performer]

Derek was wonderful! I treasure the time he called Paul Pacific a barefooted freak on the busker's Cafe! Paul was thrilled to be insulted by the son of Vernon!

When Derek was sober he called me a genius
When he was drunk he called me something else.

[Ted M]

Here's the Derek Vernon thread I was remembering, thanks to Joe Pecore's search-fu:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3057

There's some nice, very human, stuff in here.

Thanks again, Joe!