Benjamin "Ben" Keith Chamley

Benjamin "Ben" Keith Chamley, 50, of La Salle and Lexington, KY, passed away unexpectedly May 30, 2024 at OSF St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Peru.

A Celebration of Life honoring Benjamin will be held on June 16, 2024 from 1 - 4:00 PM at SK RECC, 200 Electric Dr., Somerset, KY 42501. The Hurst Funeral Home in La Salle has been entrusted with his arrangements. In lieu of flowers, please donate to kymutts.org or gofund.me/b5d36ca3.

Benjamin was born in Somerset, KY on October 1, 1973 to Charles and Deborah (Jones) Chamley. First and foremost, Ben was a family man; he cherished and loved his family dearly and was so proud of his daughters. He loved attending band concerts, competitions, award ceremonies, and any other event he could attend to support his daughters. He delighted in being able to share dark humor with his daughters; they used dark humor as a coping mechanism when dealing with difficult times or health problems. Family vacations, trips, and adventures were some of his favorite things to do.

Ben was involved in animal rescue. He and his wife fostered, rescued, and adopted several dogs over the years. He especially found a soft spot for the most untrusting pups and helped them to learn to trust again.

Ben was a huge UK Wildcat fan; he didn't miss a game. He described one of the best days of his life was when he went with his wife to watch a UK basketball game at Rupp Arena. He also enjoyed fishing, getting tattoos, and collecting and trading knives and guns. 

Ben retired from Tri-Generations in Somerset; he was grateful to have the opportunity to work with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He cherished the relationships he formed with his coworkers and individuals who participated in the program.

There were so many people in Ben's life he considered important, but he cherished the profound relationship he had with his great aunt, Jeanne Massengale. Jeanne was a mother-like figure and a guiding star in his life. She offered unconditional love, support, and advice, and he could turn to her for anything.

Ben belonged to several amputee groups; he felt compelled to share his story of triumphs and challenges, offering support to others going through similar experiences.

Ben was preceded in death by his father, Charles Chamley; great uncles, Robert "Bob" Massengale, James "Jim" Massengale, and William "Bill Massengale; aunt, Victoria Fisher; and best friend Steve Hook.

Ben is survived by wife and best friend Holly Chamley; daughters Samantha (Ryan Kilian) Pawlik of Lexington, KY and Lauren Pawlik of Lexington, KY; dogs Callie and Squirt; grandcats, Max, Ollie, Frankie, and Margo, all of Lexington, KY; his mother Debbie Huiras of La Salle; sisters-in-law, Melissa (John) Gross of Lexington, KY and Amanda (Brad Vanzant) Leija of Horn Lake, MS; and brother-in-law Mike (Theresa) Roberson of Naperville; several cousins; and so many wonderful friends. 

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