Carlton Henry Darnell
Carlton Henry Darnell has died; his spirit left this mortal coil and rose to meet his Savior and Redeemer, and his beloved wife. Carlton was born on Saturday, December 21,1935 in Albuquerque, New Mexico and was raised in the Jemez mountains northwest of Santa Fe. His father was a logger, he grew up there as a free spirit. His mom just said "be home by dinner", and that was her only requirement.
When Carlton started school, his family moved to Bernalillo, New Mexico. Carlton took his junior and senior year together at Our Lady of Sorrows high school, and joined the Navy when he was 17. He rapidly rose in rank to Petty Officer First Class by the time he was 21. While home on leave in 1954 he met his future wife and fell in love with her promptly. They were married on Tuesday, April 26, 1955 in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. From this union came 6 children: Randy and Valerie (twins), David, Jeff (deceased), Lisa and Farnad.
Through competitive examinations he won a spot on the Navy’s NESEP education enlisted program, which sent him to the University of Colorado. There he got a degree in aeronautical engineering and then went to Officer Candidate School, where he was commissioned as an Officer. He was the honor man of the total regiment and received a sword engraved from the city of Newport, Rhode Island. He went to sea on the USS Hornet in the combat information center. The Navy then sent him back to school to the Navel Postgraduate school in California, where he received a Masters Degree in mechanical engineering. His last command at sea was on the aircraft carrier USS Independence (CVA 64), where he worked in the engineering department. He then received orders to the US Navel Shipyard in Norfolk, Virginia and that is where he retired.
Following his retirement from the Navy, he took his family overseas to Iran. While there they adopted their youngest son, a Persian boy, Farnad.
Carlton came back to the states and worked in the shipbuilding industry for 12 years in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Then he went to work at the Los Alamo National Laboratory for 13 years. After he retired from the lab, he and his wife moved to Albuquerque, where they became ordinance workers at the newly built LDS temple. He had a bout with colon cancer and was released from his calling of 19.5 years, 16 .5 years of that being a sealer in the temple.
His wife passed away in March of 2022, and his children felt it would be best for him to be in Phoenix. They got him an apartment at a senior living facility and moved him there to be close to his son, daughter in law, grandchildren, great grandchildren, his daughter, a brother and sister-in-law, and many nieces and nephews. Carlton had six children, 16 grandchildren, and 39 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, a son, a grandson, and a great granddaughter.
Carlton passed away peacefully at his son David’s home on Sunday, February 26, 2023.
Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, April 15, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. preceded by a 45-minute viewing from 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a. m. Services will be held at the LDS Chapel located at 11750 San Victoria Ave, NE Albuquerque New Mexico, 87111. Interment will be in a private ceremony at the Santa Fe National cemetery on Monday, April 17, 2023. He will be laid to rest along with his wife. Please visit our online guestbook for Carlton at www.FrenchFunerals.com.