Darin Earl Mattner

Darin Earl Mattner, 60, of Lisle, Illinois died surrounded by family on June 24, 2026. Beloved husband of Rosemarie (Flores) for 37 years; devoted father of Derek and Amanda; loving son of Robert and Evelyn (Resch) Mattner; dear brother of Gregg, Heidi (Russ) Pritchard, Denise (Conrad) Salita, Keith, and Kevin; fond uncle and cousin to many.

Raised in Ship Bottom, New Jersey, Darin was an avid short board surfer who spent much of his time hanging out at the Surf Unlimited shop and working at Hochstrasser’s Marina. After graduating from Southern Regional High School in 1983, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. Darin served for almost a decade as a non-commissioned officer and was the recipient of the Army Commendation Medal and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, among others. Most of his military career was spent in West Germany, and he was present for events leading up to the fall of the Berlin Wall, revolutions throughout Eastern Europe, and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

While stationed in West Germany in November 1987, Darin fell for and wooed a beautiful tourist, Rosemarie, with copious amounts of chocolates and flowers which he delivered almost daily on his bicycle. They married in Denmark on October 6, 1988.

After settling in Lisle, Illinois and purchasing their home in 1998, Darin petitioned for his mother-in-law, Edita Maria Hipona Patacsil Flores, and his brother-in-law, Giovanni Patacsil Flores, to live with them in the United States sponsoring their pathway to citizenship. Darin and Rose believed in the ethos of family, and they raised their children in a multi-generational household.

For all his adult life, Darin fought Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC), a debilitating heart disease, which progressed rapidly in the last few years. Despite this challenge, Darin doted on his wife, two children and his dog, Oden filling their lives with many cherished happy memories.

Known for his vivacious sense of humor, Darin loved all sources of comedy ranging from the Three Stooges to Benny Hill to SpongeBob SquarePants. He insisted on finding joy in all aspects of life and laughter was his mantra - and his best medicine.

Viewing will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1101 Kimberly Way, Lisle, IL, on July 8, 2026, from 10:00-11:00am with church service immediately following. After the service, a funeral procession will travel (approximately one hour) to Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, 20953 W Hoff Road, Elwood, IL 60421 for a military burial.

At the family’s request, please wear blue in any shade for Darin’s services.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Darin’s name to Trinity Lutheran Church – Kimberly Way: www.morelikejesus.church or The John Hopkins Precision Medicine Center of Excellence for ARVC https://secure.jhu.edu/form/heart