Ruth A. Banasiak

Ruth A. Banasiak, 90, of Barrington, passed away peacefully on November 7, 2025, just two and a half weeks after her husband of 66 years, Thomas.

She was born in Chicago on November 15, 1934, to Charles and Elizabeth (Klawikoski) Locke. Ruth met Thomas Banasiak when they were teenagers, and the couple were married on January 24, 1959. Together they raised their four children in Chicago before later moving to La Grange.

Ruth was devoted to her family and ran a loving, well-organized home. She was known for her warm cookies fresh out of the oven when the kids came home from school, her beautiful knitting that provided every family member with a christening blanket or wedding gift, and her thriving gardens full of vegetables and flowers. A lifelong reader with a strong faith in God, Ruth’s strength, care, and quiet devotion were constants in her family’s life.

She is survived by her children, Susan (John) Young and Timothy (Mary) Banasiak; and granddaughters, Rachel (fiancé Max Barnett) Young and Katherine (fiancé David Murphy) Banasiak.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Thomas; sons, Michael and David; brother, Charles “Sonny” Locke; and sisters, Grace Locke and Florence Rafac.

Visitation will be held Thursday, November 13, from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the Funeral Mass at 10:30 a.m. at St. Anne Catholic Church, 120 Ela Street, Barrington, IL 60010.

Burial will follow at Resurrection Catholic Cemetery, Justice, IL.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in Ruth’s memory may be made to Catholic Relief Service or the Dementia Society of America.