Sathena Cabler (née Clark), 90, of Boynton Beach, Florida, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her family and love.

Born August 19, 1936, in Bridgewater, Virginia, Sathena grew up in the Shenandoah Valley, where her lifelong love of the natural world began in her mother’s garden. A self-described tomboy, she was happiest outdoors, watching the seasons change, tending flowers and vegetables, and exploring the small patch of land her family called home.

Sathena earned her bachelor’s degree from Bridgewater College and initially planned to become a teacher. But the outdoors continued to call her. She worked and saved her tip money so she could pursue graduate studies in biology, eventually accepting a grant from the University of Florida. She arrived in Gainesville as a small-town Virginia girl who had never seen a palm tree and found herself studying and exploring Florida alongside a group of fellow biology students.

It was at the University of Florida that Sathena met the love of her life, John F. “Jack” Cabler. Jack, a gifted plant physiologist and avid golfer, first began borrowing Sathena’s class notes. Coffee followed in January 1959, and they married that May. Their shared love of nature became the foundation of their life together.

The couple eventually moved to South Florida, where they worked together in the growing field of horticulture and golf-course consulting and welcomed their daughter, Jacquelynn “Jacky.” They later settled in Boynton Beach’s then-new Delray Dunes community.

Jack’s death from Hodgkin’s disease in 1972 left Sathena a young widow and mother. From that profound loss grew an extraordinary new chapter of her life.

In 1973, Sathena joined the newly developing Quail Ridge community, where she helped design its landscaping from the ground up. What began with a small crew grew under her leadership into a department of dozens, and Sathena would spend nearly five decades caring for the grounds and gardens that became as much a part of her life as she became of theirs.

Long before it was common to see a woman leading a large landscaping operation, Sathena quietly did just that. A 1977 newspaper headline marveled at the “Woman [Who] Heads 14-Man Crew in Lawn Care.” Years later, her department had grown to 75 people.

But titles and accomplishments never quite explained Sathena. Those who worked with her knew a woman with a soft voice, a gentle spirit and an extraordinary connection to the living world around her. She knew individual trees and plants, remembered the stories behind them, and planted living memorials that would bloom for families years after their loved ones were gone. At Quail Ridge, she earned a fitting nickname: “Mother Earth.”

For all she nurtured professionally, Sathena’s greatest devotion was always her family. She raised her daughter, Jacky, and later played an instrumental role in raising her granddaughter, Emmalee. The bond the three generations of women shared was an especially treasured part of Sathena’s life. In later years, she lovingly welcomed Emmalee’s husband, Justin, into the family as another beloved grandchild. Watching Jacky, Emmalee and Justin build their lives brought her immeasurable happiness, and they remained a constant source of love and joy throughout her life.

Sathena lived much as she gardened: patiently, quietly and with great care. She understood that beautiful things require tending, that roots matter, and that what we nurture can continue growing long after us. The landscapes she helped create, the trees she planted, the family she raised and the countless lives she touched remain part of her legacy.

After more than five decades apart, her family finds comfort in imagining Sathena reunited with her beloved Jack — perhaps once again enjoying the outdoors together, with plenty of gardens to tend and a fast car nearby.

Sathena is survived by her daughter, Jacky; granddaughter, Emmalee, and her husband, Justin; nieces and nephews Lisa Goodrich, Leslee Yurko, Gregory Clark, Bradley Clark, LeeAnn Kendall, Edward Clark and Jeanie Humphrey; and sisters-in-law Pat Cabler and Norma Clark.

She was predeceased by her beloved husband, John F. Cabler; her parents, Roy Lee and Charlotte Clark; and her brothers, Guy Lee and Edward.

A Visitation will be held on Sunday, September 13, 2026 from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM at Lorne & Sons Funeral Home, 745 NE 6th Ave, Delray Beach, FL 33483. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Monday, September 14, 2026 at 11:00 AM at St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church, 840 George Bush Blvd, Delray Beach, FL 33483. Burial will follow at the Boynton Beach Cemetery, 1611 South Seacrest Blvd, Boynton Beach, FL 33435.

In celebration of Sathena and her lifelong love of flowers and the natural world, her family warmly invites those attending to wear something floral in place of traditional solid black.