In Loving Memory of Benjamas Meesriyong

Benjamas Meesriyong, beloved mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, passed away leaving behind a legacy of resilience, warmth, and unwavering dedication to family and community.

Born in the 1940s in Prajin, Thailand, Benjamas was the proud daughter of Groom Naktragool and La Mom Thanavorn. She was the middle child among 11 siblings, and although she held the role of a strict older sister and aunt, she was deeply respected and loved by those who knew her.

Her journey brought her to the United States, where she met her husband and together built a life centered around entrepreneurship and food. In the 1980s, she worked tirelessly on the South Side of Chicago near 61st and King Drive and 73rd and Jeffery, cooking and selling a unique blend of American and Chinese cuisine.

Concerned for her daughter's future during the turbulent 1990s in Chicago, Benjamas (Ben) and Phayap (Pat) made the courageous decision to leave the far Southside of Chicago where they had a fast food businesses and relocated their love of food to the quiet campus town of DeKalb, Illinois in 1993.  This time with Thai food.  The draw was that NIU had a Southeast Asian program and taught Thai as a foreign language.  The town had been missing a Thai restaurant for two years.

There, she brought delicious Thai cuisine to the Northern Illinois University community, opening the Thai Pavilion Restaurant on April 25, 1994 — a date made even more special as it marked her daughter Anne's 14th birthday. Thai Pavilion quickly became a local favorite, with patrons returning not only for the food but for Benjamas' welcoming spirit and strong work ethic. She continued to serve her community until the restaurant was sold around October 2005.

Outside of work, Benjamas found joy in simple pleasures: spending time with her family and friends, visiting the Thai Buddhist Temple in Chicago on Sundays, eating Dim Sum, watching Wheel of Fortune, The Price Is Right, and ABC News, and listening to traditional Thai music on YouTube. One of her proudest accomplishments was fulfilling a lifelong dream of traveling across nearly all of Western Europe in 2009.

Her greatest joy came later in life with the births of her grandchildren. She was a caring, compassionate, devoted and loving grandmother to Sean (born 2016), Samantha (2018), and Baby Ava (2024), cherishing every moment she spent with them.  They miss her so much.

Benjamas is survived by her loving daughter Anne Meesriyong-Kacskos (Matt), her grandchildren Sean, Samantha, and Ava, and her baby sister Chongpobsuk Surisook, cousins who were more like her brothers, Joe (Holly) Hatch-Surisook, Jack (Sarah) Surisook, along with many nieces, nephews, Freya, Jasper, Jackson and Callahan, extended family members in Thailand, and longtime friends.

She was preceded to Heaven by her parents, 9 siblings, her husband Phayap (Pat) Meesriyong, her favorite Aunt and Uncle, Pudsadee and Boonmee Surisook.

She will be remembered for her sweetness and her kindness, her resilience, her strength, her culinary talent, and her deep love for her family. Her memory will continue to live on in the hearts of those who loved and knew her.

Benjamas always reminded us: "Do Good Always.  Love and Forgive Each Other.  Be Strong, Life Is Not Easy, Take Care of Each Other."

Words she lived by — and ones we will carry forward in her honor.

In Lieu of Flowers, please make donations in honor of Benjamas Meesriyong to Wat Phrasriratanamahatatu

Address: 4735 N Magnolia Ave, Chicago, IL 60640

Phone:  (773) 490-3748

Visitation will on be on Wednesday June 25th, 2025 from 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm with a Buddhist prayer ceremony at Butala Funeral Home, 1405 DeKalb Ave. in Sycamore, Illinois.