Rodney Fontaine Darnell, 56, died June 26, 2025, at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics in Iowa City. He lived a life marked not by ease, but by extraordinary strength, deep laughter, and unwavering devotion to the people he loved.
Born on April 3, 1969, in Burlington, Rodney entered the world with a quiet spark that would one day grow into a light that touched everyone he met.
Raised by his loving mother, Charita Diane Darnell, and his stepfather, Bernard “Chuck” Carter, Rodney learned early what it meant to persevere, to show up for others, and to face life with both grit and grace. These early lessons stayed with him as he graduated from Burlington Community High School and moved forward into adulthood, a path that would test him in ways most never experience.
On September 10, 2011, Rodney married Jaime Michelle Morris, and together they built a life that was as joyful as it was real. Their marriage was filled with shared music, jokes, and late-night laughter. More than anything, it was filled with love the kind that holds steady in sickness and in health, through every high and low.
Rodney found deep happiness in simple pleasures. He was a loyal fan of the New York Knicks and the Pittsburgh Steelers, a music lover who always had a favorite song playing, and a man who found peace in the quiet rhythm of a fishing trip. He had a gift for finding joy even in small things and for sharing that joy with others. You could count on him to crack a joke, flash a wide smile, or make someone laugh even on the hardest days. More than anything, Rodney loved his family. Though his illness may have taken physical strength, it never took away his ability to love deeply and fully.
Survivors include his wife, Jaime Darnell; three daughters, Karina Darnell, Kyleah Darnell, and Camdyn Darnell; two sons, Jaymison Darnell, and Cobaine Hardman; nine siblings, Barron Darnell, Zane Darnell, Rashad Darnell, Shamyra Carter, Shaneen Moore, Makayla Brown, Elijah Pickens, Kasey Brown, and Talesha Brown; father, Jimmy Brown; favorite cousin, Bridgett Stewart; and a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins.
He is preceded in death by his mother, stepfather, and his grandmother, LeVern Brown.
Visitation with the family to receive friends will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 1, 2025, at Prugh Funeral Service, 3940 Division Street.
The funeral service for Mr. Darnell will be 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 2, 2025, at Bethany Lutheran Church with Reverend Shane A. McCampbell officiating. Burial will be in Aspen Grove Cemetery. A time of food and fellowship will be held at Bethany Lutheran Church following the burial.
A memorial has been established for his children's education.