Michael Dargento

November 26, 1958 - May 11, 2022

Michael Ralph Dargento was born on November 26,1958 in Passaic N.J., the son of Ralph and Betty Dargento. He passed away peacefully at home on May 11, 2022.

Mike was a New Jersey native, where he discovered the joys of music, fishing and golf; pastimes he enjoyed for most of his life. While growing-up, Mike lived in North, South and Central N.J. Mike graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Rutherford N.J. in 1980 with a degree in Business Management. Living and going to college just a short hop from NYC allowed Mike to enjoy his love for music, arts and culture. While at FDU he met his wife and most cherished friend, Ellen, in 1980 - and they were married in 1986.

In 1982, Mike started his 30+ year career with the Chevron Corp. His career path originated in Perth Amboy, N.J., from there it led him to Washington, DC, onto Boston, then to Los Angeles (while working in Los Angeles/Pasadena), to the final stop in San Francisco; the city that Mike had optimistically set his sights on back in 1982 as a place for Ellen and he to eventually live and enjoy. They lived happily together in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of SF for 27 years.

Starting as a Chevron Marketing Assistant; many successful, stimulating years followed for Mike with rewarding positions in sales and marketing. Mike’s most noteworthy Chevron assignments were: North American Commercial Marketing Manager, North American Commercial Sales

Manager, Global Commercial Marketing Manager and North American Marketing Manager.

Global responsibilities allowed Mike to travel to Europe, China and the fareast, Latin America, Russia and Africa. The product line that he managed was marketed in over 165 countries at the time. Mike found joy in helping sales people and customers understand how Chevron products can help them. Training the sales team, leading the development and implementation of Commercial lubricants training and sales materials, and strategic planning was a big part of what Mike did for most of his career.

Ellen was insightful enough to schedule travel earlier in life than most couples do; when the couple were younger and Mike had the energy and his health - Fiji, both New Zealand Islands, the Greek Islands, Mauritius, Italy, Australia, Kauai, sailing the Windward Islands in the West Indies, Zihuatenajo, and touring South Africa were some of their more exotic favorites.

In 2008, Mike was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at age 50. In late 2010 he stopped working and started treatments at the Stanford Cancer Center. He was in and out of chemotherapy programs for the rest of his life. Although his diagnosis was a challenge for him at times, it allowed Mike to better understand and know himself through meditation and professional counseling. While on disability, Mike maintained a good quality of life, enjoying time with Ellen, family and friends - with an improved focus on being at peace, faith / volunteering, TV, music / concerts, food, reading, yoga, meditation, philosophy, the arts, SF Giants baseball, travel, golf and photography. Mike often traveled to Florida to visit and enjoy his family, playing golf and fishing. Mike and Ellen very much enjoyed vacationing internationally, and more frequently, in California wine country.

He was always grateful for time spent with Ellen, and for her generous, courageous, life saving kidney donation (to his mother Betty in 2006), and for her youthful spirit. No one will ever be more of a hero to the Dargento family than Ellen. Around 2016 Ellen stepped away from a successful, 30 year career in advertising to take full time care of Mike. Mike was sustained by Ellen’s humor, love and friendship - and by the support and love of family, good friends and caregivers. Mike’s life arched earlier than most - his 40s and 50s turned out to be his golden years, and it is to Ellen’s credit that they both experienced the joy of traveling during that time period. Mike was blessed with Ellen as his life partner, travel agent, personal gourmet chef, therapist, nurse; the list goes on… There was no one more important to Mike than Ellen. The times enjoyed most lately were doing simple things, like watching TV and talking about what was watched. Simple and peaceful, usually with a very nice cup of tea. Ellen always had the knack for sniffing out great TV….

As Mike’s activity levels declined, goals later in life were: more golf, more travel to FL and NJ to visit family and friends, more live music, helping the church, and taking advantage of wine country with Ellen. Mike volunteered his time weekly for over 10 years at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, helping them with marketing and communications activities and other misc projects.

Mike is survived by wife Ellen, parents Ralph and Betty Dargento, sister Marylou Blackmer, mother-in-law Eleanor Boshko, sister-in-law and brother-in-law Lydia and Joseph Buccellato.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the SF Jazz Education (sfjazz.com)

Memorial service scheduled for July at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in San Francisco. Further information to follow.