Born in A recibo, Puer t o Ri c o on D e cember 28,1942 to the lat e A r iel R a fael Ma ti e n z o and t he la te Elvir a Lop ez . The fami l y moved to B ri d g e p ort , Connect i cut in 1947 . Later , t h e family relocated to Bron x , N Y where Arie l Sant i ago grew u p .

A r iel S a n t iago Matienzo g raduated from ST Piu s Elementary School and Mor ris P ublic Hig h Schoo l in B r on x, N Y . H e was awarded a scholar s h i p to ' Pa ce Coll e g e in New Y o rk, but instead decided to join the military . A r i e l serve d as a R ad a r T e c h n i ci an in th e Submarine Serv i ce and lat e r as an Oc e anographer . He serv e d wi t h g re a t honor for 20 y e ar s relocat i ng f ro m C al ifornia to En g l an d b ef or e reti rin g in Norfolk, VA in 1979. Eventu al ly h e s ettl e d in V i r g inia B eac h, VA where he began hi s 2 nd c a ree r w ith th e US Postal S e rv ice in 1 980 . A f t e r 30 y e a rs of s ervice h e r e tir e d in 2010 .

A m a jo r hi g hli g ht of hi s li f e was o n M arch 1 6, 1997, when he d e d i c a ted h is lif e to J e hovah God and was b ap t i ze d as one of Jehovah's Witn ess es . H e en j o ye d pr ea ching and t ea c h i ng B ib le t ruth s to other s. He loo ke d f or wa rd t o t he fulfillm e nt of th e m a ny p ro mi ses and bl es sin gs h e lea rn e d a bout fr om the Bibl e .

Ar i el Sant i ago Matienzo i s surv i ved by hi s lovin g w i fe Maria Matienzo, h is o l d er broth er Ari e l R a f ae l M at ienzo J r, 3 s on s: Ari e l S . Mati e nzo J r, Ariel R . M ati e n z o Jr a n d Ed w ar d M ati en z o, 2 st epchildre n : J es sf r y Te j e d a and Evel yn T eje da, 7 gr andchi l d re n: Jo e y , Joshy, B r ayd e n , D i ego, P ay l e e s , Lu k e and Jac k son , a sp ec ia l family friend Gabby a nd a ho st o f other f am il y m e mb e rs and f riend s.