Capitol staffer Darnell Cooley dies suddenly

Capitol staffer Darnell Cooley died unexpectedly of a heart attack early
Friday morning. A consultant for Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally, D-Compton, and
director of the Legislative Black Caucus, Cooley was 42.

Cooley had worked for Dymally since 2002. He also had worked for former
Speaker Herb Wesson and also served a vice president of the California
Conference of the NAACP. He is survived by his wife, Patricia, and two young
children.

“What I loved about Darnell was that we could fuss about things, and then
I’d say let’s be more practical and we’d keep moving,” Dymally said in a
statement.

Services will be held Saturday, October 14, at 11 a.m. at Greater St.
Stephen Baptist Church at 6524 44th Street in Sacramento. The burial will be
held immediately afterward at Sunset Lawn Memorial Park, located at 4701
Marysville Boulevard in Sacramento.

Letters of condolence can be sent to: Mrs. Patricia Cooley, 3409 Heron Lake
Lane; Elk Grove, CA 95758. Dymally is asking that instead of flowers, people
donate to a memorial fund for Cooley’s family: the Darnell L. Cooley
Memorial Fund: Washington Mutual, 801 K Street; Sacramento, CA 95814.
Contact Phyllis Marshall at (916) 552-2350 for more information.