The City of Southlake is mourning the death of Southlake Public Works employee Darlene Rubio as a result of complications from COVID-19.

Darlene was an Administrative Secretary with the department and had worked for the City for four years.

“Darlene’s death is a mighty blow to our organization,” said City Manager Shana Yelverton. ”As a military veteran and an award-winning, tenured employee, she knew what it meant to be a faithful public servant.”

“Darlene was a cornerstone to our operations,” said Public Works Director Rob Cohen. “Her ability to work through the sometimes complicated nature of our business made her an essential member of our team,” he added.

Darlene started with the City in August 2015. Previous to her City work, she worked with Affiliated Bank as well as One Main Financial/CitiFinancial. Before her work in the financial sector, she spent four years in the United States Marine Corps, assisting senior-level military officers.

“We enjoyed working with Darlene and will miss her,” said City Manager Yelverton. “We are heartbroken that she is gone, and we offer our deepest condolences to her family and friends.”

In 2017, Darlene was named a City of Southlake Value Award winner for Accountability.