Pamela Darracq

1935 - 2025

Civic leader and native Sacramentan Pamela Bush Darracq passed away on Friday, October 24, in Santa Rosa, California where she had been living with her daughter and son-in-law. Born in Sacramento on October 15, 1935, she attended Donner Elementary School and Stanford Junior High, and was a proud Sac High Dragon, graduating in 1953 and moving on to UC Berkeley, where she graduated with a degree in Psychology in 1957.

At Berkeley, she pledged Alpha Delta Pi sorority and met her future husband Dal Darracq at a float-building party for the Cal-Stanford Big Game. Their Cal connection provided a delightful foundation for their life together, attending football and basketball games, owning impressive wardrobes of blue and gold clothing, enjoying epic tailgates behind Boalt Hall for decades, and always, always cheering for Cal.

She and Dal married in 1957 and moved around the country during Dal's military service, welcoming daughter Dione in Sacramento, Nicole in Maine, and Danielle back in Sacramento again. As a young married woman, she joined the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and began a lifetime of giving back to her community. Besides serving with Dal on the Alumni Council at Cal – for a while as President - and AAUW, she devoted time to the Sacramento Children's Home, serving on the Board of Directors for eight years, including as President. She was a tireless supporter of her children's educations, contributing her efforts to the PTAs of Mariemont Elementary School, Arden Junior High, Rio Americano High School, and the Gifted program at Pope Avenue Elementary School.

Pam was an athlete, an outdoorswoman, a world traveler, lifelong learner and patron of the arts. She and Dal backpacked and camped, skied and hiked, visiting almost every continent over their 60 year marriage, but there were few things she loved as much as a day in the Rockies or the high Sierra. She was a dedicated tennis player, and her coterie of "tennis ladies" became dear friends, celebrating each other's birthdays together long after hanging up their racquets. She and Dal were generous donors to the Music Circus, Broadway Sacramento, the Sacramento Speaker Series, KVIE and Capital Public Radio.

She is survived by her three daughters and sons-in-law, Dione (Ty) Affleck, Nicole (Jeff) Bert and Danielle (Darrel) Nelson, and her beloved grandchildren Chelsea Affleck (Michael) McIntyre, Ryan Affleck and Sofia Bert. Her husband Dal Darracq preceded her in death, and we like to think of her reunion with her best friend as the silver lining to the loss we grieve. Boy, those two could dance.

A celebration of life for both Pamela and Dal Darracq will be held at a future date, and inquiries may be directed to pamdarracq@gmail.com. Gifts in memory of Pam, Dal or both may be made to the Sacramento Children's Home, the University of California Marching Band, or Capital Public Radio. The family would like to thank At Home Island Care, Luana Gauna and Losavati Tawake for the devoted and loving care she received in the final years of her life.