Ariele David Mattis

Private services were held for Ariele David Mattis, who was born on July 23, 1982 and known only to his family as (Karime).  Ariele passed away on Wednesday April 14, 2021, at the age of 38 at his place of residence in Trenton New Jersey.

As a child Ariele grew up with his mother Janet Mattis-Rose and her husband Carl Rose along with his two younger sisters, Sejaida Williams (Jessica) and Carlene Rose (Carlee) in his childhood home of over twenty years in Edison Township, prior to moving to Plainsboro, New Jersey as an adult.  Ariele resided in Plainsboro, New Jersey for over thirteen years.  He obtained his high school diploma from John P. Stevens High School and completed some college credits at Middlesex County College, both located in Edison, New Jersey.

Arielehad a passion for writing poems based on his real-life issues, all of which were often true to who he was.  He loved music, specifically rapping and hip hop and Ariele would frequently write his own lyrics, singing and rapping them and doing livestreams for entertainment.  Ariele went on to write and rap two songs which he uploaded to "Sound Cloud" under his musical name of "Kaneaveli" for everyone to enjoy. 

Ariele was also a member of "REVERBNATION", a site that allowed others to express their musical creativity.  He wrote and uploaded thirty-two original songs under his musical name of "Kaneaveli” (angels nation).  One of his songs "Be a Better Man" was dedicated to his mother and poignantly expressed his knowledge that Ariele knew that his mother wanted the best for him.  He went on to rap about how deep he was searching and wanted to be a better man.  Another of Ariele’s lyrical lines that resonated stated that "he wanted to be all that he could be and live a life of honor, living up to his full potential and let go of bad habits so he could succeed and how he needed to dig deep to release a better side and the struggles Ariele endured trying to release his inner demons.

Ariele enjoyed participating in various open mike events because they gave him an opportunity to expressed himself through his music.  Another song that resonated with who Ariele was as a man was his song "No Sad Face" in which one of the line in his lyrics is stated as a direct quote, "life is a blessing and I thanked the universe that I am here and even though life is a roller coaster, but that storm will not break me and now I lay me down to sleep and if I die before I wake, tell the world my life was great  and don't cry for me because through victory I crush my adversaries"  Ariele used his music and his words to express all his life struggles.  Even though he struggled through many adversities and endured many obstacles throughout his 38 years on earth, Ariele maintained a positive outlook on life.  He had many happy childhood memories that he often shared with his mother.  Two specific memories that Ariele had texted his mother in March of 2021 were the following: he stated, "One of my favorite childhood memories was when we were watching "Nightmare on Elm Street” and eating Rotisserie chicken” and the other was "I remember peeping out the window watching and waiting for you to come home from work".  Ariele had a kind heart and he loved to make jokes and laugh.  His one-line zingers often had his mother and his two younger sisters bursting into laughter.  Ariele enjoyed cooking and he had a vivacious appetite. He loved to watch basketball and would often shoot hoops with his friends. 

Ariele also enjoyed watching various genres of movies and television shows.  His favorite actress was Kyra Sedgwick, and he was an avid fan of her television show "The Closer".  One of his favorite Sci-fi shows was "Quantum Leap".  He liked it so much that Ariele got his mother to start watching it and she ended up loving it also.  Ariele flourished in the outdoors, as he loved walking and he would often walk for miles while somehow making it seem like it was just a few blocks.  Ariele had the gift of making friends very easily.  He was generous, to a fault, with whatever he had.  He liked being around people, but he also had his pensive moments when Ariele would like to relax solely by himself.  As a child Ariele was often hyper, impulsive, and curious.  He even taught himself to ride a bike, roller-skate and swim.  Ariele was so determined to obtain his driver’s license that once he received his permit, he would often practice driving, using his friends’ cars and Ariele surprised his mother by passing his driver's test on the first try.

Ariele endured mental health issues which caused him to suffer numerous struggles and hospitalizations throughout his thirty-eight years.  He had many ups and downs, but Ariele never let it stop his positive way of thinking and he was always thankful for what he had, no matter how small.  Despite all his struggles, Ariele still had a strong outlook on life, and he believed in the Lord, and he has left behind numerous nuggets of evidence of just how profound his belief in God was, as well as his outlook on life.  Ariele's need for self-expression is evident in many of the pictures that he left behind embedded with various quotes.

Ariele's family has chosen to share various pictures of his life to give everyone some insight as to who he was as a man.  Ariele developed Type 1 insulin dependent diabetes in his early twenties which he found extremely difficult to control and he had numerous hospitalizations due to complications from his diabetes.  Even though Ariele had such a positive outlook on life, surrounded by the love of his mother and sisters, it is extremely sad to say that it could not save Ariele from making many unwise decisions.  These decisions eventually kept him embroiled in a toxic grip that for Ariele, it became a never-ending struggle and a constant battle. 

He knew that his mother was there to fight for him, but Ariele also made the choice not to share certain things.  Many family members knew Ariele as an infant and as a toddler and at times they were there to lend a helping hand.  Unfortunately, these same people never got the opportunity to know Ariele and witness his growth from a child, into a teenager, into a young adult and eventually into a man.  Ariele's struggles and life trials certainly did not define who he was as a person, a man, a brother, and an uncle.   

Ariele was loved by his mother and his sisters, and he knew that they were there for him, but Ariele often liked to do things his own way.  One of Ariele's last request was that he wanted a television.  When his older sister shipped it to his residence, he was so happy and told her “Oh man I love my TV" because a simple gesture like this made him happy.  Ariele dearly loved his niece and the last gift that he sent her, Ariele told her mother to buy her something and to tell her he loved her.  It was not much but it was the generous intent in his heart that made the gesture so very precious to his sister.

It was with profound sadness and pain when Ariele's mother and sisters found out that he lost his fight on earth.  The Lord decided that Ariele's job here on earth was completed and on the night of April 14, 2021, the Lord reached down to bring him home and release him from all his pain and struggles.  Even though Ariele stated in one of his songs "don't cry for him" he knows that is something his mother and sisters could not stop from doing, because their pain and their grief are too deep to stop the tears from flowing. 

Ariele was his mother's first child to enter this world and the first to leave.  Even though she knows that he is no longer in pain and his struggles are over, it does not stop the grief and pain that she is feeling.  A mother's love for her child never ends.  Throughout life, that love grows and grow and never stops, even after his death.  “Beyond life's gateway, there's an open gate at the of the road, through which each must go alone, and there, in a light we cannot see, our father claims his own.  Beyond the gate, your loved one finds happiness and rest, and there is comfort in the thought that a loving God knows best". Ariele's family will take comfort that the same God who welcomed him home, will keep them in his care through this difficult time.

Isaiah 41:10 " So do not fear, for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”                                                                                                     

Ariele had many life struggles, but he still left a legacy of discovery behind for his mother and sisters.  Their wish is that as friends, and family members watch Ariele’s memorial tribute they will see beyond Ariele’s life struggles and illness and see what his mother and sisters saw: a kind, funny, deep thinker, a music lover a writer of poem and most importantly, a man who regardless of what life threw at him and the decisions he made that further impacted his health, Ariele still maintained a positive outlook on life and a bond with God. 

The family would like to thank everyone who sent their condolences and for their support and special thanks to those who have uplifted his mother daily with prayers, encouragements and at times just lending a listening ear. The family has created an online video memorial in memory of who Ariele was.  This video contains pictures of Ariele throughout various stages of his life, along with pictures of his immediate and extended family and family friends.  The family hopes that while you are watching that you will see beyond Ariele's life struggles and always remember that Ariele was "a son, a brother, and an uncle and that he was deeply loved and will always be in our hearts.

Ariele is survived by his mother, Janet Mattis-Rose and her husband Carl Rose; his sister, Sejaida Williams and her fiancée Michael Webb; his sister, Carlene Rose; his niece Adrienne Williams; his grand aunt Bernice Mattis-Rassoules and her husband Gus Rassoules; his grand aunt Beryl Sutherland and her husband Stanley Sutherland, and numerous other family members, aunt, uncles, and cousins. Sadly, his grandparents, David Samuel Mattis & Winnifred Mattis had predeceased him in 2014 & 2011, respectively.    

The family would also like to thank Teresa V. Kowalski of the KOWALSKI FUNERAL HOME in Linden, New Jersey for handling Ariele's final arrangement. Her thoughtfulness, words of comfort and her guidance in helping the family navigate Ariele's final preparation is greatly appreciated.

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