Glenn's obituary
Glenn Arthur Derossett of Santa Paula, beloved Father, Partner, and Papa, passed away on January 26, 2024.
Glenn was born on October 16, 1960, in Wilmington, Delaware. A graduate of Adolfo Camarillo High School, he was a Ventura County resident for over 50 years.
Glenn was a lifelong public servant. After graduating from UC Berkeley's prestigious Civil Engineering Department, he worked at the County of Ventura Public Works Agency for his entire career. He retired from the County this past July after 35 years of service.
A master of the performing arts, Glenn started playing the baritone in elementary school and graduated to the trombone by high school. At just 17, he traveled to the 1978 Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland as part of the Moorpark College Jazz Band. However, most remember Glenn for his deep singing voice. A member of the Ventura County Master Chorale for over a decade, he loved being on stage. He believed the best gift you could give someone was an unforgettable experience. Every retiree of the Public Works Agency was sent off with a personalized musical parody in his booming baritone voice. From a young age, he was a regular patron of local musical theater and national broadway tours. Glenn held season musical theater tickets to the Pantages and Ahmanson Theaters in Los Angeles for over 20 years, and was a regular at the Santa Paula Theater Center from its opening in 1985.
An avid fisherman and member of the Sespe Fly Fishers in Ventura, Glenn was equally at home fly fishing in North America's National Parks or deep sea fishing off the coast of San Diego. After catching a total of 321 pounds of Bluefin tuna in a single day, the Santa Paula Times knighted him "The Big Tuna of Santa Paula." Glenn loved sharing his passions with his friends and family. No fishing trip would be complete without bringing his latest catch to the office to share amongst his colleagues. He passed on his love of fly fishing to his daughter Jayme through numerous trips to California's rivers and most memorably, big trips to the Green River in Wyoming and the San Juan River in New Mexico. This past July, to celebrate Glenn's retirement, he and Jayme took a trip to Alaska where Glenn got to live out his lifelong dream of salmon fishing.
Undeterred by the prospect of transplanting his Southern California roots to snowy mountains, he loved being outdoors and hoped to retire somewhere surrounded by pine trees. In 2022 he purchased an RV trailer and took his partner Michelle and her two grandchildren, Hope and Fayth, on camping trips around California. A lover of the Sierra Nevadas, he was particularly fond of Yosemite National Park, having visited upwards of a dozen times throughout his life. He and Michelle had planned to marry this year in Lake Tahoe.
Glenn is survived by his daughter, Jayme Canfield, his partner, Michelle Choate, his sister, Marcia Little, and his brother, Wayne Derossett. He was preceded in death by his mother, Beulah Booth, and his father, Carl Derossett.
A memorial service will take place on Saturday February 10th at 3 P.M. at Santa Clara Valley Chapel, 133 N. Mill St. in Santa Paula.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Glenn’s memory can be made at https://everloved.com/life-of…. Funds raised will go towards a memorial in his honor at the Santa Paula Theater Center.
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Throughout our history with Glenn, I can honestly say there really wasn't much face time. A few interactions here and t…
Throughout our history with Glenn, I can honestly say there really wasn't much face time. A few int…
Throughout our history with Glenn, I can honestly say there real…
I worked with Glenn he was extremely easy to work with he had a never ending amount of energy. Always available to shar…
I worked with Glenn he was extremely easy to work with he had a never ending amount of energy. Alwa…
I worked with Glenn he was extremely easy to work with he had a …