Derek Ralph Hall Caine was born in Le Touquets, France on the 26^th of August 1915. He was the only son of Gordon Ralph and Lillian (nee Deacon) Hall Caine.

He attended Bray Court Prep School in Bray, Berkshire and went on to graduate from Canford Public School in Winborn, Dorset UK. He then completed his University studies at La Sorbonne in Paris, France in 1935.

From 1933 until 1935 he performed internship duties at his father’s publishing company, Greycaine Ltd. He spent 1935 and most of 1936 as Assistant Editor of Readers Library Ltd., another family owned company.

From 1936 until the summer of 1939, he ran a motorcar concession for Adler cars Ltd. and was very active on the race car circuit.

Prior to WW II, Derek joined the Middlesex Regiment of the Royal Artillery reaching the rank of Sergeant in 1939. In 1939 he received his Commission in the Gordon Highlanders infantry and was sent to France and North Africa. By 1941 he had been promoted to Captain and had been assigned to the Tank Division in India and later Burma. 1943 saw him reaching the rank of Lt. Colonel and being named Head of British Counter Intelligence for China and the Pacific area. In 1946 he returned to Germany and England as G.1 at the British HQ Staff Military Government. He retired from Military Service in 1947 and for his gallant service was awarded the Distinguished Service Order.

From 1947 to 1950 Derek served as Export Sales Manager and Assistant to the Chairman of Thomas Owen, Ltd and British Coated Board and Paper Mills, Ltd.. From 1950 to 1951 he served as Sales Director of H.H. Brands Ltd., a large paper and pulp merchant company based in London.

From 1951 to 1958, he went out on his own in the paper and pulp merchant business and representing Kaare Andersen Shipping Ltd.

1951 was also the year he married Margaret Louise Wildman-Watson in London. In April 1955, his only child, Melissa Jane was born.

His company, Derek Hall Caine Ltd. closed in 1958 and he moved to the United States with his wife and daughter. He took up duties as an executive with Continental Can Inc. but then suffered a near death experience from complications arising out of a perforated ulcer. As the story goes, after passing out at Grand Central Station at the height of rush-hour, a catholic Priest was called to administer last rights assuming Derek to be of perhaps Irish descent. Apparently, the incantations penetrated his coma and brought him to his senses. Upon seeing and hearing the Priest in the midst of his performance, Derek became so enraged that he sat up and bellowed at the poor Priest : “where I come from (meaning the Anglican Church and Scotland) , they burn people like you at the stake !”. Evidently the surge of adrenalin was enough to save his life.

He became a property manager for a large estate in Connecticut and eventually became a partner in a group of restauranteurs which founded the Raffles Club in New York based on the original clubs by the same name in London and Hong Kong. After several years of success, he joined with the French nightclub genius, Regine, in opening her first club in New York. She went on to open other clubs in Miami and Rio de Janeiro.

Derek’s unique voice and appearance became quite in demand by advertising and music video producers. He and his wife appeared in numerous music videos and it was not uncommon to see them on subway billboards or TV ads. On one occasion, he was flown to Romania to appear in a music video.

His wife, Maggie, died in 2002 of cancer and Derek began to think about joining his sister in Florida. However, he would loudly complain about having to leave his “burgeoning acting career” behind. He remained in New York with his daughter, Melissa, and following his sister’s death at the end of 2003 he found little reason to go on living. He died peacefully in his sleep in early 2004 and was buried next to his wife and sister in Woodlawn Cemetery in Westport, Connecticut.

Derek spoke fluent French and Urdu and some Spanish as well as Cantonese. Throughout his life he was very athletic mastering such sports as skiing, polo, fencing, and rugby. He was also a skilled shooter and experienced hunter.