Ben Roberts

Ben Roberts, age 19, of St. Charles, IL, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, August 26, 2011.BORN: He was born January 22, 1992, in St. Charles, IL, the son of Jeff and Jill (Erickson) Roberts and "little" brother to Rachael. EDUCATION: Ben grew up in St. Charles and attended Wheaton Academy in West Chicago. After graduating in June of 2010 he began attending Elgin Community College. LIFE NOTES: The highlight of Ben’s life was a Christian sailing trip named, "Arrr U Prepared", which helped those growing in Christ better navigate the paths of life. Ben, seven fellow seniors and three teachers sailed to the Florida Keys and despite the chilly conditions, forty degrees and occasional hail, Ben was all smiles. Ben’s faith was quiet but strong and was very important to him. It was the bedrock on which his foundations were laid. Ben also lived for his Green Bay Packers and made the "religious pilgrimage" to Lambeau Field to visit his "patron saints" of football. He was the first in his family to root for the green and gold but soon he began evangelizing to his family and friends. Ben was a self professed "Geek" and was proud of it. He loved to put things together. His heart had plenty of room for all his Legos, Transformers, Super Heroes, comic books and PS3 games and Ben loved them all with the zeal of a boy on Christmas morning. Family was very important to him and he was never happier than when he was spending time with them, especially when they played board games together. For Ben, there were only two foods, cheeseburgers and pizza, and he was a connoisseur to the highest degree. The music that played in his heart was sung by Bono and backed by The Edge. Although he never got to attend a U2 concert, every time he played their songs, he was in the front row. Ben also had a special connection with children of all ages. They flocked to his open heart, gentle manner, quick impish smile, and the fountain of knowledge he had for all their favorite things. Simply put, he was the "big brother" they never had. Because of his gentle nature, Ben’s dad gave him the Native American name of "Tender Heart" and he lived up to that name every day without fail. As tender and open as his heart was, it contained a hidden shadow that was known only to him. Even if there was a hint of the depression that was in him, Ben kept it to himself, quietly shouldering the burden until it became too much to bear. In an instant, all the love he received could not be seen and the joys of life became a transparent mist barely felt. Ben loved to be right, but he made one wrong choice and ended a promising life full of unrealized dreams and a thousand memories yet to be made. Gone but not forgotten, his legacy is the life that he lived, not how he chose to end it and his memory lives on because of who he was and how he was loved by so many. SURVIVORS: He is survived by his parents, Jeff and Jill;One sister, Cryptology Seaman Rachael Roberts, currently stationed at Ft. Meade, MD;His best four legged friend, "Rocky", a mutt whose heart was as dedicated as Ben’s;Six aunts and uncles including, Larry (Diana) Erickson,Denny (Claire) Erickson, Joel (Madonna) Erickson, Donna (Dave) Meisch and Bonnie (Tom) Proctor, all of the surrounding area and Pam (Mike) Cioffi of FL;Numerous cousins and his paternal grandmother, Patricia Roberts of Stuart, FL.PRECEDED:He is preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Dorothy and Ivan Erickson and his paternal grandfather, Richard Roberts. VISITATION / FUNERAL Visitation will be from 3-8 p.m., Thursday, September 1, 2011, at Conley Funeral Home, 116 W. Pierce St., Elburn, IL 60119. A funeral to celebrate his life will be held Friday, September 2, at 3:30 p.m. at Christ Community Church, at the corner of Randall and Bolcum Roads or 37W100 Bolcum Rd., in St. Charles, IL. There will be a visitation time one hour prior to the service. Interment will follow at Prairie Cemetery, also in St. Charles. The family wishes to strongly encourage those attending either the visitation or funeral service to honor Ben by wearing their favorite College or Pro Football Team Jersey or their favorite super hero shirt. Despite Ben’s adoration for the Packers, special dispensation has been given to those wishing to wear Chicago Bears jerseys. MEMORIAL In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established in Ben’s name to benefit his favorite charities. Checks may be made to the "Ben Roberts Memorial" and mailed in care of P.O. Box 66, Elburn, 60119. Tributes may also be forwarded to the same address or on the web at www.conleycare.com where you can find his full life story.

Visitation will be from 3-8 p.m., Thursday, September 1, 2011, at Conley Funeral Home, 116 W. Pierce St., Elburn, IL 60119. A funeral to celebrate his life will be held Friday, September 2, at 3:30 p.m. at Christ Community Church, at the corner of Randall and Bolcum Roads or 37W100 Bolcum Rd., in St. Charles, IL. There will be a visitation time one hour prior to the service.

Interment will follow at Prairie Cemetery, also in St. Charles.