Stanislaus County Supervisor, former state Sen. Tom Berryhill dies at 67
Stanislaus County Supervisor Tom Berryhill’s death was announced Saturday during a committee meeting in the state Capitol, where he had served a dozen years as an assemblyman and state senator before his election to the Board of Supervisors.
Mr. Berryhill was elected to the Board of Supervisors in November 2018 after term limits ended his political career in Sacramento. State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson, D-Santa Barbara, announced his death during a session of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“Before we start, I want to note the just passing of our former colleague Tom Berryhill,” Jackson said, according to a recording of the meeting. “He just passed away. Good guy and someone well-respected in our house and so our condolences please to his family. We have lost a good friend. ... We will be memorializing him on the floor tomorrow.”
Stanislaus Supervisor Terry Withrow confirmed Mr. Berryhill’s death, saying he learned of it from a member of Mr. Berryhill’s staff. “Yes, sadly (it’s) true,” Withrow wrote in a text, adding the county will issue a news release.
Mr. Berryhill was a Republican and represented the board’s Fourth District, which includes most of Modesto, Del Rio and a small part of Ceres.
Mr. Berryhill had Parkinson’s disease and other health issues. He was not able to campaign actively in the election for supervisor and was in the hospital when new county officials were sworn in to office in January 2019. But he flourished as a politician despite long-term health problems. His 12 years as an assemblyman and state senator followed a heart transplant in 2001.
He was born in Ceres and was a small businessman and fourth-generation farmer. And he came from a family steeped in politics. His brother Bill also served in the Legislature. And their father, the late Clare Berryhill, was a longtime Republican legislator who also served as state director of food and agriculture.
‘Tom was my mentor’
Elected officials issued condolences Saturday.
“Our community has lost a giant,” said state Sen. Andreas Borgeas, R-Fresno, in a news release. “Tom Berryhill led a dedicated life of service to his community both in the California Legislature and the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors.
“Tom was my mentor and imparted the importance of respect, civility and collegiality in California politics. My wife Anna and I would like to express our deepest condolences to the Berryhill family as they endure this difficult time.”
Borgeas succeeded Mr. Berryhill in 2018 in representing the Eighth Senate District, which included parts of Stanislaus, Madera and Fresno as well as all of Calaveras and Tuolumne counties. The news release said Mr. Berryhill was 67 years old.
U.S. Rep. Josh Harder, D-Turlock, said in a statement: “It’s always heartbreaking to lose a member of our community – especially someone like Tom who spent so much of his life working to make the Valley a better place to live. Pam and I send our deepest condolences to his wife, children, and his entire family.”
State Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, also issued condolences, calling Mr. Berryhill a friend and dedicated public servant.
This story was originally published August 29, 2020 at 5:17 PM.
