Chad Benton

Chad Benton, 53, of Robinson, IL, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, September 2, 2025. He was born in Robinson on December 8, 1971, and grew up in Flat Rock, with a few years spent in Missouri before the family found their way back home. From an early age, Chad was drawn to work that mattered. He played football and basketball, but what he loved most was slipping out of school early to help his dad at the stave mill. He never outgrew that love of big machines, and the rhythm of hard, physical work stayed with him throughout his life. After graduating from Robinson High School in 1990, he went to work at Reinbold & Sons, then to Rumpke, and later back to Reinbold’s. In 1997, a fall from 30 feet changed everything. The year that followed tested him in every way, yet he refused to quit. In time, he found his way back into the driver’s seat, hauling loads in a semi, running a TerraGator through the fields, and keeping the elevator in Flat Rock running when things broke down.

Chad had a gift for seeing how things fit together. Whether it was a piece of equipment or a truck in need of work, he could look at it and know what to do. He poured countless hours into his old ’70 Chevy, just as he did for anyone who needed his help. He was the kind of man who showed up, rolled up his sleeves, and stayed until the job was finished. But if you really want to know Chad, you have to look past the machines. You have to see the way he lit up when he was outdoors, whether it was fishing, hunting, or riding four-wheelers with his kids, whom he considered his “greatest accomplishments”. You have to notice how proud he was to be their dad. He wanted them to have the best of childhood, full of adventure and laughter, and he gave himself fully to that. And you have to smile at the thought of him walking through Wal-Mart, stopping every few steps because someone else wanted to talk. He insisted he wasn’t a social guy, but he couldn’t help it. People gravitated toward him.

Chad’s life was marked by resilience, by love for his family, and by the steady way he poured himself into the people around him. To his kids, to their friends, and to anyone who came close, he was more than a father figure. He was an anchor. Though his time here feels far too short, the impact of his life is anything but.

He is survived by his wife, Ashlynn Benton; by his children, Dalton Benton, Caleb & Halley Benton, Austen Benton & Sydni Williams, and Kaelynn Benton; by his mother, Patty Benton; by his siblings, Carl Wayne Benton Jr. and Desiree Benton; as well as several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, Carl Wayne Benton, Sr.

A family-guided celebration of Chad’s life will be held from 12:00–2:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 6th, at the Flat Rock Community Center. Memorials may be made to the “Memorial Fund for Chad Benton,” with deposits accepted at the First Robinson Savings Bank. Cremation arrangements have been entrusted to the Goodwine Funeral Home in Flat Rock.