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Visitation:
Tuesday, August 18, 2026, from 5 - 7 p.m. at Holland
Barry & Bennett Funeral Home.
Service:
Tuesday, August 18, 2026, at 7 p.m. at the funeral
home.
Funeral home: Holland Barry & Bennett Funeral
Home
Obituary
Kailen James
Sanchez, affectionately known as “BIG CHEEZ,” 24, of
Lincoln, passed away tragically, in an automobile
accident in the early morning hours of August 12,
2026, after celebrating an amazing birthday with his
closest friends.
Cremation rites have been accorded by Holland Barry
& Bennett Funeral Home. A memorial visitation will
be held Tuesday, August 18, 2026, from 5-7 PM., with
a memorial service immediately following at 7pm at
the funeral home. Any of Kailen’s friends wanting to
share a memory or speak are more than welcome to do
so.
There is no dress code. Please, come as you are, in
your best football gear or even in something that
you could picture Kailen wearing. If you know Kailen,
you know he had a style all his own. He loved
graphic tees and sneakers of every style, always
appreciating a good pair of shoes with a hat to
match and how they could pull an outfit together. He
made a statement wherever he went! Kailen would
simply want you to show up as yourself. Just how he
loved you.
Kailen was born August 11, 2002, in Lincoln, IL to
David Sanchez and Emily Chase. He was born the day
after his great grandmother “Momo Bobbie’s”
birthday. They always shared a close bond before and
after her passing, as she passed on her birthday,
the day before Kailen’s birthday. Kailen was an
HVAC/plumbing apprentice working very closely with
his Uncle Jason as his "right hand man."
Kailen loved anything involving cars, especially
fast and foreign ones, and he took great pride in
the cars he invested time and money into, (even if
they weren't the best investments). His Acura TL
held a particularly special place in his heart.
Kailen loved gaming and spent countless hours
playing a variety of online games on his Xbox, where
he made friends with people from all over the
country.
Kailen truly loved a good meal and was never afraid
to break bread with the people he loved. Some of his
favorites were his momma's cooking, his aunt April’s
tater tot casserole and Taco Bell. For Kailen, good
food was even better when it was shared with family
and friends around the table.
More than anything, Kailen loved his people. He
would've done anything for anyone he cared about and
was never afraid to tell the people in his life that
he loved them. He was the true definition of a
gentle giant. Protective by nature, if Kailen was
around, you knew he was going to make sure everyone
he loved was okay, and he certainly wasn't afraid to
remind you of that.
Kailen had a wonderfully offbeat sense of humor and
loved a good cringeworthy joke. He and his mother
shared the same twisted sense of humor, which led to
more laughs than could ever be counted. They also
shared the same love of sneakers. So, personal jabs
asking “what are those?!” were a common occurrence
between the two. Kailen had jokes for days and the
kind of contagious laugh that made everyone around
him laugh right along with him.
As a big brother, Kailen never let his sisters get
too comfortable. He loved to give them a hard time
about their clothes or music or whatever gave him
material for a joke that day. It was simply one of
the many ways he showed his love.
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Kailen was also an avid New England Patriots and
Tom Brady fan and took great pleasure in heckling friends who rooted for
opposing teams. Sports gave him yet another opportunity to joke, argue, and give
his friends a hard time, something he was exceptionally good at.
One of Kailen’s most loyal companions was his dog “Gus” or “Gus Gus,” whom he
lovingly referred to as his “emotional support animal.” Gus was much more than
that to him. Kailen could often be heard proudly saying “that's my son!” Their
bond was undeniable.
Those who knew Kailen will remember his loyalty, his humor, his big protective
heart, his love of cars, his jokes, and that unforgettable laugh. But of all the
things his mother will carry with her, his smile is something she will miss the
most.
Kailen is survived by his father David Sanchez of Albuquerque, NM, his mother
Emily Chase of Lincoln,IL; grandparents: “Grandma Cathy” and Jesse Walston of
Decatur, IL, “Grandpa Barry” Chase Sr. of Argenta, IL, “MawMaw Mia” and “PawPaw
Frank” Carter of Amarillo, TX., “Grandpa Eddie” West of Amarillo,TX, and bonus
grandparents “Grandma Sara” and “PawPaw Judd” Short of Havana, IL, sisters:
Alexzia “Lexia” Martin, Tryniti “Tryn Tryn” Martin, and Adriana “Boog” Menzel
all of Lincoln,IL, brothers: Manuel, Maverick, Brady and Lucas Sanchez of
Albuquerque, NM, aunts and uncles: “Aunt Melissa” Gaherty and “Uncle Joey” Haws
of Taylorville,IL, “Uncle Kevin” and “Aunt Hannah” Chase of Decatur, “Aunt
April” West and “Uncle Jason (Pops)” of Lincoln, IL, “Aunt Amy” Jordan of
Lincoln, IL, and “Uncle James” West of Amarillo, TX. Kailen leaves behind many
cousins, several close loving friends, and his loyal dog & “son,” Gus.
He was preceded in death by his great grandparents on both sides, specifically,
“Momo Bobbie,” Grandma & Grandpa Jordan, and his great uncle Jimmy Jordan.
Kailen's life was far too short, but the love he gave, the laughter he created,
the friendships he formed, and the memories he left behind cannot be measured by
the number of years he was here. His voice will live on in the jokes his family
still hears in their heads, in every fast car that makes them look twice, in
every Patriots game that starts an argument, around the table when family
gathers for a meal, and in the stories that will be told about for years to
come.
He was deeply loved, and will be forever missed.
Memorial donations may be made to Holland Barry & Bennett Funeral Home or
directly to assist the family with funeral expenses.
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