Donald Gene Root passed away peacefully on Friday, January 31, 2025 at the age of 89. He was born November 18, 1935 at Sutter General Hospital in Sacramento, California. He was the son of Elmer Frank Root Sr. and Irene Gertrude (Bilderback) Root. His brother, Elmer Frank Root Jr., preceded him in death. He was a 4th generation resident of Sacramento. He was descended from four pioneer families. He attended Grant Union High School and graduated from Sacramento City College. He served two years in the United States Army as a company clerk in a military police battalion. He was stationed outside of Stuttgart, Germany. He worked for several years in Standard Oil and Chevron service stations before and after serving in the army. In 1957 he married Mary Jane Cox. In 1959 he went to work at the Sacramento County Hospital as the Assistant Storekeeper. In 1961 he passed the civil service exam for Records Officer I and went to work at the Sheriff's Department Branch Jail (RCCC).

While there he managed the officer's payroll, ran the inmate's commissary, assisted in booking inmates, and he maintained the farm records. In 1964 he was transferred to the ID section of the Sheriff's Department. In 1967 he was promoted to Record's Officer III and assigned as supervisor of the Records Section. In 1969 he was also assigned supervisor of the Property Warehouse. Working with the Data Processing Unit of Sacramento County, Don was instrumental in the creation and implementation of the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department's first automated Uniform Crime Reporting System to the FBI and the California Department of Justice. He retired after 24 years of county service in 1983. Four years after his retirement he went to work in the security unit at Rancho Seco Nuclear Power Plant for four years. His interests were golf, fishing, reading, movies, history, and genealogy. He was a fan of the San Francisco 49ers since 1957. He and Mary volunteered to help maintain the Sacramento Old City Cemetery for over seven years. His sons are Kevin and Dale Root and his grandchildren are Nicolette Thayer (Jimmy), Layla, Ashley, and Brandon Root. He was a member of the Masonic Union- Tehama Lodge #3 and the 711 Club.