Charles Banas passed away on October 18, 2026, surrounded by family and friends in his own home, after courageously battling multiple myeloma for over six years. A memorial service in his honor will be held on Sunday, November 22, 2026 at Chapel in the Pines in Sycamore, Illinois.

Date: Sunday, November 22, 2026

Location: Chapel in the Pines, 15165 Quigley Rd, Sycamore, IL 60178 

Schedule: 10am-12pm – Visitation

12pm-1pm – Service 

1pm-3pm – Light Brunch

Please join us to celebrate Charles’ life and legacy.

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Charles Banas – no middle name ever assigned or needed – was born on December 3, 1958, to parents Chester and Ann Banas near Lake Zurich, IL. He was the youngest child in the family with older siblings Adrian, Maryann, Deanne, and Chester.

When Charles was just a few years old, the Banas family sought a more rural lifestyle and moved to a farm in Lily Lake. There they raised milking cows, grew corn, and maintained a massive vegetable garden. All between Saturday morning cartoons, which Charles got to watch if he churned the butter.

In high school, Chuck played on the fresh-soph football team during an undefeated season. As an upperclassman he made a strategic move from athletics to politics: he and his friend Doug ran for class president and vice president and won. They drew straws to decide who got which office. Chuck won, so naturally he picked vice president. He worked as a restaurant food prep cook and as a handyman on a large dairy farm. His paychecks paid for his first toys: motorcycles, trucks, and speakers.

Chuck and Tarri crossed paths many times through middle and high school, but the romance didn't start until the spring of their senior year. Soon after, they were canoeing on the Kishwaukee River when a fast current flipped the canoe and pinned it, with Tarri, underwater against a tangle of branches. Chuck pulled her to the surface. They married, bought a house in Hinckley, and started building their family and careers. They had three children: Nicole, Kyle, and Tyler.

Several years later they bought a farmstead outside Burlington and restored it into a sort of paradise. The family grew gardens and flower beds and prairies and pines, raised chickens and pigs and peacocks and horses, and hosted numerous parties including hayrides and brunches. At Christmas the family would walk to the back pines to select a tree (that is, before getting an artificial tree that shone bright through the great room windows). 

Charlie was known in many circles. In the regional construction and concrete industry, people respected him for his attention to detail and for mentoring many coworkers. He enjoyed the Wild Game Dinners. Additionally, he was an active member of the Burlington United Methodist Church for decades and held several roles there, including President of the Board of Trustees. (He leveraged that position to get the church building painted white before his daughter’s wedding.) 

Charlie’s work ethic was built on strategic planning, steadfastness, and organization. Order applied to all his workspaces: his truck, the haymow, his camper, the yard, his desk. Visitors to his shed would marvel at the neatly organized array of tools and the efficient yet practical use of space. His vision allowed him to carry a plan from end-to-end: from the initial sketches through the framework to the final coat of paint. 

There were many activities and places that Chuck loved. Music was paramount among these. Favoring blues and southern rock, his tastes expanded in many directions in later years. He put the tunes on whenever possible, and when one of his favorite songs came on he'd nod and say, "Oh, this one is really good. Turn it up." Put the blues on a boat and he was grinning ear to ear. He and Tarri took anyone and everyone out on the water: family, friends of friends, and children from Sandy's Kids charity on Apple Canyon Lake. He loved the Mississippi River, especially Pool 13, where the couple eventually bought a riverbank cabin. He loved the family cabin in Wisconsin during any season. He loved rides on his Indian motorcycle and trips in his camper. He loved traveling and often told Tarri one of his favorite quotes, “Where I am, is where I am supposed to be”. On Friday evenings you'd find the tunes rolling – of course – and a boating magazine on his desk. He'd share a drink with friends, often saying, "I don't think I've tried this before." 

Above all, Charles cherished quality time with the people who called him Dad or Grandpa. 

Chuck fought multiple myeloma with courage for more than six years. He rarely let anyone see how hard it was. When asked "How you doing?" he'd answer "Faaantastic!" or "Well, it could be a heck of a lot worse."  Multi-month bouts in the hospital alternated with long stints of good health, morning coffees, and adventurous travels. The many people who survive him are incredibly grateful for these years and everything that came before. 

Charles, Chuck, Charlie, Dad, Grandpa. Known by many names, the renowned man will be dearly missed.

Memorials can be made to the family.  Donations will be sent to:   Playing For Change and the Burlington Hampshire Food Pantry.

To sign the online guest book, go to www.ButalaFuneralHomes.com