PASSAGES: Best Gay Travel Guides Online Publishing co-founder and owner Derrick Sorles – Windy City Times

Best Gay Travel Guides Online Publishing Co-Founder and Owner Derrick Sorles died July 2 at his home in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico after a two-day battle with pancreatitis and an internal infection. He was 58.

Sorles was born December 23, 1965, in Pontiac, Michigan and grew up in neighboring Clarkston, where he spent his childhood and teen years. He received his BA in organizational development at Spring Arbor University in Michigan. Sorles spent a number of years in Royal Oak and Grand Rapids, Michigan before a quick sojourn to Florida. He moved to Chicago in 2001.

Best known in Chicago LGBTQ+ circles as the Best Gay Travel Guides Online Publishing co-founder and owner, as well as the Out in the Park Six Flags organizer, Sorles also worked as an interior design consultant at Art Van Furniture (2014-2018) and then Bloomingdales (2018-2023). Sorles’ other career achievements included his time as a pharmacy technician at Walgreens; Web 2.0/social media marketing strategist, coach, consultant and online publisher at Business Blogging Consultants; and executive director for the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce.

Sorles met his future husband Michael Snell on a dance floor in Saugatuck, Michigan on the midnight between July 3 and July 4, 1999. The couple later decided to celebrate their anniversary on July 4 of each year. At the time, Sorles lived in Grand Rapids and Snell lived in Royal Oak, Michigan.

Snell got a job offer in Chicago in 2001, so they decided to make their move to what they called “the big city,” where they stayed until 2023. When civil unions became legal in Illinois in 2011, the couple tied the knot. Then when marriage equality was recognized by law in Illinois in 2014, they converted that civil unions document into a marriage certificate.

In a Facebook post, Snell said they instantly fell in love with each other and were each other’s soulmates. The couple moved to Puerto Vallarta last year because they liked the atmosphere, ocean and beach and lower cost of living.

The couple found ways to give back that included silent auction donations to various LGBTQ+ events in Chicago. A portion of every ticket sold at Out in the Park bestowed upon a different non-profit each year—this year’s beneficiary will be AIDS Healthcare Foundation and other smaller endeavors.

Sorles was also a known foodie, theatergoer(he met Kinky Boots songwriter Cyndi Lauper at the Chicago premiere of that musical) and Hollywood Beach lover.

Sorles is survived by Snell, his mother Patricia Senopole, sister Denise Sherwood and brother Doug Sorles and countless chosen family members and friends. He was preceded in death by his father Ernest Sorles and stepfather Joseph Senopole.

Additionally, in that same Facebook post, Snell stated “I am just beyond broken hearted. They say you can die of a broken heart. That would actually be best thing that could happen to me because I don’t see myself living a long life after this. We used to envision ourselves in our 70s and 80s—I do not want to live that long without my soulmate.

“We had so much fun together. And so many great times. He always said the same thing, that ‘I hope I go first Michael because I don’t want to live without you. I wouldn’t be able to survive.’ Because neither of us could see a life without the other in it.

“Those of you who knew us well, know about the matching tattoos and matching clothes from back in the day, when the door man at Circuit fell in love with us and our ‘looks.’ We never had to wait in that long line to get in. Roscoe’s either, where we possessed the coveted VIP card to get in.

“He always said how lucky he was to meet me. It was equal. I was the lucky one. And I will think of you Derrick, every single day until I see you again. He had the best smile and loved me so much. I could go on and on. I just want to hold him again and kiss him again.”

Longtime friend Stacy Bridges said, “Derrick will be greatly missed by the many people that knew and loved him. His smile would light up any room when he walked in and I will miss that. I affectionately referred to Derrick and Michael as Bert and Ernie. You didn’t see one without the other.”

Longtime friend David Hackett said, “I will cherish the many fond memories of attending his epic holiday celebrations (specially Christmas), uber -abulous Out in the Park and Heat Wave events and our quality time at Hollywood beach. What I’ll miss most is his million dollar smile when he would greet me with a resonating ‘darling,’ leaving an indelible feeling imprint in my memory.”

Six Flags Great America Special Events Representative and friend Krystal Adams said, “I have had the pleasure of working with Derrick for the past 13 years since the inception of Out In The Park. During that time, the business partnership quickly also turned into a friendship. Over the years, it has been incredible to see what he and Michael have built the event into. Derrick brought his charisma, enthusiasm, charm and love for life to everything that he did and that included Out In The Park. Derrick will be greatly missed.”

The family has decided that no public memorial service will take place.