Darlene was of the Lutheran faith, having moved to Lakeland as a child with her family in 1959. She attended elementary, middle school and high school all in Lakeland Florida. She finished her formal education at the University of South Florida graduating with a Bachelors Degree in history and humanities. She went on to study as a licensed optician and for over forty years worked for Walmart Visio Center before her health took a sudden decline. She passed away on Thanksgiving morning at Blake Memorial Hospital after having been admitted two days earlier.