Dwayne Keith Darnell

Dwayne Keith Darnell, of Onancock, VA, packed a whole lot of living in his 74 years on this earth. He was born in Fletcher, North Carolina to his parents, Chester and Elva Mundy Darnell.

His childhood was of the stuff Norman Rockwell painted - a barefoot kid with his beloved dog at his side, fishing pole in hand.  It wasn’t long after graduating from high school that his wanderlust nature kicked in and off he went with his buddy, driving across the country in his green and white ’56 Chevy - destination: the great forests of the Northwest.  The only things he took with him were a few bucks in his pocket and a big dream in his heart.  A few years past before his country sent him an official invitation to discover another faraway place with the name of Viet Nam.  It was in those hot sticky tropics that he believed the boy became a man, a man who would always remember the sour taste of war. Upon leaving the Army, his country called him once again to serve, this time as a police officer for The United States Park Police, stationed in Washington, D.C.  It wasn’t long before he was accepted into the newly formed Helicopter / Aviation Section of the USPP, first to be a medic, then to be a pilot.  He had found his love and his calling, an exciting career filled with medivacs, police chases and protecting the skies over our Nation’s Capital. At 49 years of age he decided it was time for a completely different adventure, that of welcoming into his life and home, a wife and her two teenage daughters.  And so for his last 25 years of life, he dedicated his time to the role of husband and father.

Dwayne will always be remembered for his most beautiful connection with nature. His soul always found peace with that fishing rod in his hand and loving dog at his side.

A Private and Personal Memorial Service will be held in the near future.

Memory tributes may be shared with the family at www.williamsfuneralhomes.com.

Arrangements by the Williams-Onancock Funeral Home.