Husband of Contra Costa County supervisor dies

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Editor’s note: If you or somebody you know are in crisis, contact the 24-hour confidential crisis line of Contra Costa Crisis Center at 800-833-2900 or 888-678-7277, or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, via text at 800-799-4889, chat or at SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.

Richard Clayton, the husband of Contra Costa County Supervisor Diane Burgis, died by suicide on Saturday morning, the supervisor announced in a statement.

Clayton leaves behind a blended family of four along with three grandsons.

“Like many of us, Richard’s mental health was severely impacted by the pandemic. I would ask anyone who is suffering from a mental health crisis to reach out for help, and I’m respectfully requesting that you respect my privacy and the privacy of Richard’s family at this difficult time,” Burgis said in a written statement early Saturday afternoon.

Burgis, who is in her second term on the Board of Supervisors, also encouraged anyone who may be facing a mental health crisis, or who may know someone experiencing a crisis, to seek help.

In addition to his wife Burgis, Clayton is survived by his parents John and Carol Clayton of England, his brother Barry (Deb) and sister Nina (Rob), daughter Kianna and son-in-law Andrew Lee, his stepsons Jacob, Sam and Dusty Burgis, and grandsons Arlo, Brody and Huxley, as well as nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.

The couple lived in Oakley. Additional biographical details about Clayton’s professional and personal life, including his age, were not immediately available.

Burgis has presented Blackhawk, Diablo, Tassajara Valley and the rest of East County’s District 3 on the county board since her election in 2016. She previously served in elected office on the Oakley City Council as well as the East Bay Regional Park District Board of Directors.