Benjamin J. Ranes

Benjamin J. Ranes, age 33, a resident of Round Lake, IL passed away on July 16, 2024 at Northwestern Hospital in Chicago, IL.  He was born on December 21, 1990 in Lagrange, IL to Lawrence and Elizabeth (nee Fick) Ranes.

When he was young, Ben's family thought he would be a diplomat. He was good at keeping the peace. Ben had other dreams; he wanted to be a zebra.

Always unapologetically himself, Ben's wardrobe was filled with colorful Hawaiian shirts. A connoisseur of words, he enjoyed writing and world building, creating elaborate stories often featuring his friends and loved ones. While his friends are spread around the country, Ben loved staying in contact with them however he could, and did his best to be the "glue" and gather them together for fun and board games. He was always there for his friends and family, although he would have been too humble to say as much. In his spare time, Ben kept sharp by assembling and displaying building sets, solving puzzles in video games, and even helping his family with their own word puzzle games. Despite his claims of hating word puzzle games, Ben was quite good at them.

Words alone do not adequately describe Ben; although, if anyone was able to do so, it would have been Ben. Put simply, Ben was the kind of person who enriched your life by simply knowing him, and he is, and will forever be, sorely missed.

Benjamin is survived by his parents, Lawrence and Elizabeth Ranes; and his siblings, Christopher (Phylicia) of Zion and Meghan of Round Lake.

A memorial visitation and service will be held at Strang Funeral Chapel, 410 E Belvidere Road, Grayslake, IL 60030 on Saturday, July 27, 2024 from 3pm until 4pm, with a memorial service commencing at 4pm.  Interment will be held privately.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association in honor of Benjamin.  For more information, please call (847)223-8122 or visit www.StrangFuneral.org .