The day Chuck Siebel Jr. of Aurora passed away, his father – Chuck Siebel Sr. – began making a list of things he’ll never forget about his 49-year-old son.
“I just wanted to get some things on paper that I was thinking about,” Siebel said. Then, he broke down in tears on the phone.
“This is going to be hard,” he said, and he slowly began to tell the tale of his son’s life, starting from day one.
“He was the perfect baby,” Siebel said. “I’m sure all parents say that, of course.”
Chuck Siebel Jr.’s story ended tragically, 49 years later, when he was killed in a car crash in Aurora on Friday.
Police said two men, ages 16 and 20, were street racing down Eola Road near Shenandoah Drive at speeds up to 100 mph when the 16-year-old’s Dodge Charger slammed into Siebel Jr.’s car as he turned out of a subdivision.
Siebel, of Aurora, and his daughter Cassidy, 15, were on their way home from dropping of a friend of Cassidy’s, blocks from the Siebel home. The five-minute trip would be life changing for the Siebel family: wife of 23 years, Julie; daughter Cassidy; and son Chuck Siebel III – called Trey – 17.
“This kid was 49 years old,” Siebel said. “He had a wonderful life ahead of him. Everything was going in the right direction.”
Siebel Jr. worked in sales and lived for his family, his father said. He was a witty fellow, kind of a “smart ass like his dad,” Siebel Sr. said. He loved The Grateful Dead and the arts, but was also a sportsman and coach. When it came to book smarts, he had them too, the proud father said.
“He read a lot. He was very intelligent. You couldn’t talk to him about anything he didn’t have the answer to,” Siebel said.
A free spirit, Siebel Jr. had plans of spending his 50th birthday with friends at the Bonnaroo music festival in Tennessee.
“He was going to take a camper with all of his friends,” Siebel Sr. said, his voice quivering. But, he’ll never make that trip.
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As much as Siebel Jr. loved music and the Iowa State Cyclones (he will be buried in a Cyclones tie), he loved his family more, his father said.
“His children were his life,” he said.
Cassidy Siebel, who was with her father the night of the crash, spent a night in the hospital and is recovering at home from bruises and muscle aches.
“She was so fortunate. It’s just amazing,” Siebel said. “But, I don’t really want to talk about the crash. I just gave her a big kiss and told her I was glad she was here.”
What Siebel did want to talk about was how proud he was of his son.
“I was pretty hard on him growing up,” he said. “I saw so much potential in him and I wanted nothing for him but success. I hope he understood that.”
On Tuesday, after taking care of his son’s burial plot, Siebel took time to reminisce about his son and talk about the outpouring of community support he’s received since the crash.
“It’s wonderful. It shows that there are a lot of good people out there and it amazes me,” he said. “When you think of all the crap going on in this world, to have so many wonderful people helping out is great. It will help the family a lot.”
The family’s church, New Song Community Church in Aurora, has started a meal tree for the Siebels and is accepting donations. Julie Siebel’s former sorority sisters have started a gofundme.com campaign, and various other fundraisers for the family have been set.
But, nothing will bring back his son, Siebel said.
Aurora police said charges are still pending against the suspected street racers who may have caused the fatal crash.
A Celebration of Life service for Chuck Siebel Jr. will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday at New Song Community Church, 2858 Hafenrichter Road, Aurora.
Visitation will be held Friday from 3 to 9 p.m. at Beidelman-Kunsch Funeral Homes and Crematory, 24021 Royal Worlington Drive, Naperville.
Internment will be at Lincoln Memorial Park Cemetery in Aurora.