Steven Ray Diaz "Derz" was born in Dallas, TX, April 30, 1953, and entered eternal rest August 5, 2022. He was the son of Jesse, Sr. and Esther (Barrientos) who preceded him in death. He is survived by his brother, Jesse, Jr. (Vickie) and his brother, Frank. He is also survived by his nephews, a niece, great nieces / nephews, many cousins, and dear friends. He graduated from W.W. Samuel in 1971 with honors and then graduated from East Texas State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Art in 1975. He was awarded "One of the 100 Best" in the 1975 Student Creative Competition that was sponsored by the Dallas/Ft. Worth Society of Visual Communications. He started his career in 1975 at Neiman Marcus and eventually transferred to the Visual Presentation Department at the flagship store in downtown Dallas. Steve had a remarkable career in the Visual Department for numerous years which included managing the sign shop in the downtown store, staff artist designing and executing props for in-store and windows. He helped create lavish displays and designs for N-M's annual Fortnight, Christmas, and other occasions. He was promoted to the Corporate Visual Department where he interfaced with all Neiman Marcus stores. During his tenure he participated in the opening of numerous new stores. He also spent time at Susan Crane as a designer. After leaving Neiman Marcus in 1985 he furthered his career as a freelance artist working for numerous high end retail companies and various other entities. In 1992 he moved to Seoul, South Korea and was employed by the Grand Hyatt as an event designer where he served for three years before returning to Dallas. In 2000, Steve had a stroke that affected the right side of his body; however, this did not stop his willingness to continue to learn to compensate with his left side. For several years, he contributed to DIFFA (Design Industries' Foundation Fighting AIDS) by designing denim jackets to be auctioned at their major fund raiser. He was the life of the party and will be missed by everyone who knew him. Eternal Rest grant unto him, Oh Lord and May Your Perpetual Light shine upon him. May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God Rest in Peace.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to:

AIDS Service of Dallas: https://www.aidsdallas.org/make-a-donation/

Or The T. Boone Pickens Center at Faith Presbyterian Hospice: https://www.faithpreshospice.org/support/