Berryhill struggles with illness. Will the former senator return to Stanislaus board?
Stanislaus County Supervisor Tom Berryhill is trying to recover from serious illness and it’s not known when the former state senator will return to the Board of Supervisors.
Berryhill, 66, missed a board meeting in December and was absent from the first two regular meetings this month.
Supervisors Terry Withrow and Jim DeMartini said Berryhill was struggling with pneumonia when each of them visited him at Doctors Medical Center in December. Berryhill was on a ventilator in intensive care and was later transferred to a Bay Area care facility.
“Supervisor Berryhill is currently out of the office recovering from a recent illness,” the county Chief Executive’s Office said in a statement this week. “He looks forward to returning to his duties on the Board of Supervisors as soon as possible.”
The county did not estimate when Berryhill might return to board service. Members of the Berryhill family did not comment on the supervisor’s condition.
“When I saw him in the hospital just after Christmas, his mind was alert, but he could not breathe and he could not eat,” DeMartini said. “I heard (this week) he is breathing on his own and starting to walk.”
Berryhill served in the Assembly and state Senate before terming out in 2018. He captured 53 percent of the vote in winning the county board seat in November 2018, even though a broken hip and muscle disorder stymied his campaign.
Berryhill was being treated in the hospital for dehydration in January 2019 when a new crop of elected officials was sworn into office. He arrived in a wheelchair two days later to take the oath of office in the board chambers, beginning a four-year term.
The supervisor attended regular board meetings in 2019, except for three: June 4, Aug. 20 and Dec. 17. His supervisorial district includes most of Modesto, Del Rio and a small part of Ceres.
Withrow was hopeful Berryhill can return, noting that his fellow supervisor, who underwent a heart transplant in 2001, has dealt with health problems for much of his adult life.
“He is sharp as a tack mentally,” Withrow said. “He is a tough guy. He bounces back.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom would name an appointee to perform the duties until the next general election if Berryhill is not able to continue.
This story was originally published January 24, 2020 at 3:19 PM.
