Darell McCarley

Darell McCarley, age 42, resident of Somerville and husband of Heather McCarley, departed this life Tuesday evening December 22, 2020 at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis.

Darell was born March 17, 1978 in Jackson, Tennessee, the son of the late John Carson McCarley and Patricia Jean Davidson McCarley. Darell was married June 22, 2002 to the former Heather Marie Dew.

Darell began his police officer career following his graduation from the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy in 1999. Throughout his 21 years of dedicated law enforcement service, he served in various capacities including Senior Patrol Sergeant for the Somerville Police Department and Senior Department Training Officer. Sergeant McCarley held multiple credentials including accident reconstruction specialist. He was a current member of the Critical Incident Response Team. He was a longstanding member of the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Officers Association. In his earlier career, he worked at the Haywood County Sheriff’s Department and served on the Narcotics and Gang Unit, and while at the Brownsville Police Department, he served as a Field Training Officer.

Darell’s accomplishments included winning first place for his department in the Tennessee Law Enforcement Challenge Competition which is awarded by the Governor’s Highway Safety Office. Throughout his career, he earned multiple commendations to include Somerville Police Department Officer of the Year in 2009 and 2010 as well as Somerville Police Department Traffic Officer of the Year in 2009 and 2010 and received multiple awards from the Governor’s Highway Safety Office in 2011 and 2013. Sergeant McCarley’s passions were organizing and implementing the Child Safety Identification Program at the Cotton Festival, in conjunction with the Somerville Moose Lodge, for many years, as well as being involved with the Critical Incident Response Team and training fellow officers.

Mr. McCarley leaves behind his wife of 18 years, Heather Marie McCarley of Somerville, TN; two fur babies, Ollie and Memme; his siblings, John McCarley (Teresa) of Jackson, TN, Anita Powers (Barry) of Lexington, TN and Greg McCarley (Sandra) of Jackson, TN; a special uncle, Earl McCarley of Baldwyn, MS; his brother-in-law, Oneal Byrum of Jackson, TN; thirteen nieces, seven nephews and a host of loving cousins.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Linda McCarley Byrum and four fur babies, Kowe, Narco, Felix and Buddy.

A Celebration of Life Service for Darell was held at 2 P.M. Sunday, January 3, 2021 behind the Peebles West Funeral Chapel at Oakland with Father Christian Senyoni, pastor of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Collierville, officiating. Interment was private.

Honorary pallbearers were members of the Somerville Police Department including Chief David Webb, Assistant Chief Harlan Kee, Officer Gus Salto, Officer Rudy Rutherford, Officer Chris Witwell, Officer Sam Wolfe, Officer Jeff Malone, Officer Mark Kee, Officer Shawn Hunter, Officer Brooke Farris-Conley, Officer Geoffrey Depriest and Officer Clint Crossno, members of the Fayette County Sheriff Department including Investigator Tim Culver, Lieutenant Greg Perkins, Sergeant Michael Presson, Sergeant Ken Crawford and Sergeant Glen Robinson, members of the Brownsville Police Department including Assistant Chief Kelvin Evans and Investigator Patrick Black, Haywood County Sheriff Department Deputy Clarence Delk, Dyer County Sheriff Department Sergeant Chris Chism, Collierville Police Department Officer Chris Raiteri, McNairy County Sheriff Office Deputy Randy Collins and Tennessee Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention Battalion Master Sergeant David Forman.

The family requests that memorials be directed to Saving the Animals of Fayette County, Tennessee, P.O. Box 777, Somerville, TN 38068.