Wallis Derujinsky Obituary

Wallis Fairfax "Wally" Derujinsky died Thursday, June 9, 2011, in a car accident on South Camino del Rio. She was 72. Mrs. Derujinsky's husband, Gleb Derujinsky Jr., also was killed in the accident.

Mrs. Derujinsky was born to G. Wallace and Dorothy Gault on July 27, 1938, in Chicago.

Mrs. Derujinsky graduated from Nyack High School in Nyack, N.Y. Later, she worked as a runway model for Ellen Tracy and Sandra Sage.

In 1972, Mrs. Derujinsky married Mr. Derujinsky in Manhattan.

The couple later moved to Durango in 1976 and established the One of a Kind jewelry store on Sixth Street. Mrs. Derujinsky taught women's skiing courses at Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort for several years and was asked to design the logo for the classes.

After working part time at For the Birds, Mrs. Derujinsky recently retired in order to focus on writing a mystery novel. She also was in the process of cataloguing her husband's photography and artwork.

Mrs. Derujinsky shared her husband's passion for photography, enjoyed writing and loved her dog, Red Rock.

Mrs. Derujinsky is survived by her sister, Toni Assael of Winter Park, Fla., as well as multiple family members.

A gathering of friends will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 15, 2011, at For the Birds, 1560 East Second Ave., Durango.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to any Doberman pinscher rescue foundation.