Jared Ellis Bastion

Jared Ellis Bastion, age 45, died in a car accident on August 10th, 2022 while travelling in the Scottish Highlands with his sister and his mother. He was born in Normal, Illinois on November 19th, 1976. Jared grew up spending a lot of time with family and friends around Lake Bloomington. He attended Johnson & Wales Culinary Academy before settling in Champaign, Illinois where he lived for more than 20 years. He is survived by his wife, Graciela Ivonne Bastion, and four sons, William Bastion, Elijah Brian Matthew Bastion, Max Stanley Bastion, and his stepson Fernando Ivan Tapia. Jared was a devoted father and a true friend to many with a kind generous heart and gentle spirit. He enjoyed cooking, music, and fishing, or mushroom hunting on his cousin's property near Springfield, Illinois. He spent his early adult years as a chef, most notably at Everyday Kitchen, in Champaign, IL. He later changed careers and worked at Carle Hospital in Urbana in a role he really enjoyed as a Sterile Processing Technician.

Jared was preceded in death by his father, Fred E. Bastion (1996), his older brother, Brian Matthew Bastion (2004) and his step-father, David R. Mauch, Jr. (2021). His mother, Mary Lou Mauch (75) also died in the accident and his sister, Kathryn Bastion-Strong (46) died three days later from the injuries she sustained in the accident.

A Chief Tecumseh quote Jared was inspired by: "Live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people...When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home."