Mary Darlene Matonti

Mary Darlene Matonti, age 76, of Waldwick passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 13, 2022 while receiving the loving care of her family.

Mary was born in Paterson, NJ and was the only child to Anthony and Dorothy Matonti. As Mary grew up, those closest to her always knew her and referred to her as Darlene.  At the age of about ten years old, Darlene and her family moved from Paterson to Wyckoff.  There, Darlene attended Ramapo Regional High School.  While in high school, Darlene excelled in Dance and was active in the school’s theatre productions.  After graduating from Ramapo Regional High School with the class of 1963, Darlene was accepted to New York University where she was enrolled in Pre-Veterinary studies.  Darlene left NYU after marrying John U. Greene (Jack) and the birth of her first child Donna in 1965.  The couple lived in Wyckoff after getting married then moved to Paterson where they welcomed the birth of their second child, their son John.

After moving back to Wyckoff, Darlene worked alongside her husband Jack at their family business, Urban Appliance Repair.  Darlene and Jack owned and operated their business for more than ten years together.  Although Darlene was helping with the family business, her true full-time job was that of a homemaker.  Raising and caring for her children was clearly Darlene’s calling and where she genuinely flourished.  As the years went by, Darlene and Jack eventually separated.  However, in 1983, Darlene found love and companionship again when she met her true love, Thomas Sabiel.  Tom and Darlene moved to Waldwick and have been together ever since.      

Being a homemaker for many years gave Darlene the opportunity to hone her cooking skills.  She was an outstanding cook and was referred to as a gourmet chef by her family and friends.  To say that Darlene loved animals was seemingly an understatement.  Throughout her life, Darlene raised and rehabilitated animals for the state of New Jersey.  Her home was always filled with not only dogs and cats, but animals of all kinds, including squirrels, racoons, ducks, and a variety of birds.  Even for about two weeks, Darlene sheltered two African lion cubs from the Bronx Zoo that were scheduled to be transferred to the San Francisco Zoo in California.

On one afternoon, while Darlene was driving with Tom on route 208 in Wyckoff, Darlene spotted an adult duck pacing to and fro on the side of the road.  Darlene told Tom to pull over as she was sure something was wrong.  When pulling over, the couple found that the duck’s babies were trapped in the storm drain.  Tom tried to lift the storm drain cover by hand but was unsuccessful, he then tried to hook up a chain and pull it off with his car. While trying to do so, a NJ State Trooper pulled up behind them and asked what they thought they were doing.  After Tom and Darlene explained the situation, the officer said, “Okay… I was never here!”      

Darlene enjoyed freshwater fishing, scuba diving and travel.  She had a wonderful sense of adventure, traveling to a variety of destinations over the years including Italy, Bermuda, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  She and Tom also enjoyed racing cars. She was a genuinely true patriot and had a deep love for her country. But aside from all her hobbies, talents, and interests, Darlene’s greatest passion was for her family.  Nothing in the world meant more to Darlene than spending time with her children and grandchildren.  Darlene was a loving and caring person with a huge heart.  She was often selfless to a fault, putting the needs of others before her own.  She was a firm believer that material things were not what is important in one’s life, but the relationships with family and friends are what really matters.  Darlene was a truly special person who touched the lives of many people and will be missed by everyone that knew her.        

Darlene is survived by her longtime companion Tom Sabiel of Waldwick, her daughter Jacqueline Donna Elefante and her husband Andrew of Lincoln Park, NJ, one step-son, Thomas Sabiel, Jr. and his wife Michele of Waldwick, NJ and five grandchildren: Alexis Drew Elefante, Ryan Ross Elefante, Thomas Joseph Sabiel, Andrew Nicholas Sabiel, and Nicole Leticia Greene.  She was predeceased by her son John Anthony Greene in 2018.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Darlene’s name may be made to the New Jersey Humane Society http://www.newjerseyhumanesociety.org, 6412 Dewey Ave, West New York, NJ 07093,  or Wounded Warriors, 370 7th Ave, Suite 1802, New York, NY 10001 http://www.woundedwarriorsproject.org