Obituaries

Damon Pulley, retired vocational vice principal

Damon Pulley, obituary, featured image.
Damon Pulley

Damon Pulley, 60, a retired vocational vice principal, passed away Nov. 20, 2024. He worked for the department for 25 years, retiring in 2022.

He was employed by three prisons, working in Coalinga, Avenal, and the foothills of Ione.

Pulley started his career with the department in 1997 at Pleasant Valley State Prison as a cook. He then moved to the maintenance department at Avenal State Prison completing many large projects while employed there.

The prison’s education department then recruited him as a vocational instructor teaching building maintenance. In 2014, he earned the Vocational Teacher of The Year award.

Two years later, he promoted to vocational vice principal and transferred to Mule Creek State Prison. He remained at Mule Creek until retiring in 2022.

A celebration of life will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025, at Veterans Memorial Hall, 411 West D St., in Lemoore.

Read more tributes to staff and retirees who have passed away.

Follow CDCR on YouTubeFacebookX (formerly Twitter). Listen to the CDCR Unlocked podcast.

Related content

Weljan Estrella, retired accountant trainee

Weljan Estrella, a retired accountant trainee, passed away April 21, 2026. Estrella worked for the department for 18 years. He…

Joe Servin, retired plumber II

Joe Servin, a retired plumber II, passed away April 21, 2026. Services will be held April 28-29. He began his…

Jose Razo, retired correctional officer

Jose Razo, a retired correctional officer, passed away April 14, 2026. He worked for the department for 18 years. Razo…

CSP‑Sacramento mourns loss of Captain Cory Martincek

California State Prison-Sacramento is mourning the passing of Cory Martincek, a correctional captain who has been with the department for…

Centinela mourns passing of LVN Chima Onyebuizu

Centinela State Prison is mourning the April 10, 2026, passing of Licensed Vocational Nurse Chima Onyebuizu. Onyebuizu began his career…

Brian McCauley, retired correctional officer

Brian McCauley, a retired correctional officer, passed away April 5, 2026. McCauley began his career at with the department in…