Derek Humphry

Derek Humphry (b. 1930 in UK) is a journalist, author and principal founder in 1980 of the Hemlock Society USA and past president of the World Federation of Right to Die Societies.

Humphry is perhaps best known for his 1991 suicide handbook, Final Exit, and for his first wife, Jean, who ended her life on March 29, 1975 with an intentional overdose of medication after suffering from terminal cancer. He tells that story in his bestselling book 'Jean's Way.'

From 1993 onwards Humphry has been president of the Euthanasia Research & Guidance Organization (ERGO), and chairs the advisory board of the new Final Exit Network (formed 2004 to replace the Hemlock Society dissolved the previous year in mergers).

Humphry is an advisor to the World Federation of Right to Die Societies by virtue of his past presidency and in appreciation of his 26 years of involvement with that organization.

In 2008 the paperback Final Exit remained in print in English, Spanish and Italian. It is also available as an eBook for digital download {www.finalexit.org] and in English in video DVD and VHS. It has sold more than one million copies in twelve languages.

In April 2007 the editors and book critics of the American national newspaper, USA Today, selected 'Final Exit' as one of the most memorable 25 books of the last quarter century.

Humphry was first in print at age 15 when as a messenger boy on the Yorkshire Post he contributed to the paper's London Letter. In a 30-year journalistic career Humphry wrote as a staffer for the Bristol Evening World, the Manchester Evening News, the (London) Daily Mail, the London Sunday Times for 12 years, and lastly the Los Angeles Times.

Humphry currently lives in Junction City, Oregon, just outside Eugene. He is a citizen of both the USA and UK. In 2008 he completed his autobiography, 'Good Life, Good Death: Memoir of an investigative reporter and pro-choice advocate' (ebook at www.goodlifegooddeath.com)