Darren L Stratton

10/17/1964 – 05/22/2016

Darren Stratton was born in Auburn, Washington in 1964. He was the youngest of two brothers. He grew up in the forests of Washington, playing and riding his bike along the riverbanks with his late brother, Brian.

Their family moved to Fresno, California during his teenage years, then fresh out of high school, he joined the Navy. During his time there, he learned skills and things which helped him grow up. He was also able to travel around the world, but only Italy became memorable to him.

He had very few relationships, and attributed it to “the Stratton Gene,” which, apparently, made it impossible to talk to women. But in 2000, he married the love of his life, Joanne. Darren often talked about their blind date that changed his life for good.

Darren was a very caring person - he spent his precious time on earth making sure that his family is happy, and that his loved ones got what they needed. He used to say that he was “striving to be the best dad for his sons.” One of the things that made him happy was to shower his wife with surprises.

To say that Darren was hardworking would be an understatement. He would work 7 days a week if it meant that he could provide for his family. He put everyone else ahead of himself. He gave his all to his loved ones.

He enjoyed cooking for his loved ones. His specialties included carbonara, lasagna, chicken & beans, and his go-to snack: grilled cheese. During thanksgiving, he kicks everyone out of the kitchen and turns dinner-making into a one-man show. He also loved seeing new places with his family, and watching tennis tournaments.

In spite of all of this, he refused to be recognized for his efforts. He was so humble that he would also deny that he was good-looking and intelligent. He would also hate to be the center of attention, and would, therefore, hate this tribute.

He was a simple man with simple dreams – he would say that he dreams to have his own house and work in his garage doing “manly stuff.”

He is survived by his wife, Joanne, his sons – Alexander, Nickolas, Nathaniel, Kevin, and his daughter, Dianna.

Memorial services will take place on the 3rd of June 2016 at 09:00 in the morning at Miramar National Cemetery.

He loved deeply, and was deeply loved. He left a big hole in the hearts of those he touched.