TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Oct 5, 2020

Clarksville lawyer and former Secretary of State Riley C. Darnell died Oct. 2 after a brief battle with cancer. He was 80. A 1965 graduate of Vanderbilt University Law School, Darnell began his career with the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General Corp. In 1969, he returned to Clarksville and worked in the law firm of Welker and Darnell until 1993. In 1970, Darnell was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives as the District 67 representative serving Montgomery County. In 1980, he was elected to the State Senate representing District 22, which includes Montgomery, Stewart, Houston, Cheatham, Robertson, Dickson, and Humphreys counties. In 1993, Darnell was named secretary of state and held that position until 2009. Visitation will be held Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. CDT at the Church of Christ at Trenton Crossing, 2650 Trenton Rd., Clarksville, TN 37040. A funeral service will follow at the church at 2 p.m.. Burial will then take place at Greenwood Cemetery, 976 Greenwood Ave., Clarksville, TN 37040. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Riley C. Darnell Legislative Internship Scholarship, Austin Peay State University Advancement Office, P.O. Box 4417, Clarksville, TN 37044.