Daniel Lee Garrard

Daniel Lee Garrard, 36, of Palestine, IL, passed on Tuesday, June 8, 2021. He was born August 17, 1984, in Robinson, IL, the son of Timothy Garrard & Jill (Kent) Anderson. He grew up in the Flat Rock area and was a 2003 graduate of Palestine High School. Though he worked at Auto Zone for a number of years following high school, he knew he needed to find work that would better provide for his young family. So, in 2011, he became a correctional officer at the Robinson Correctional Center. Over the course of the following decade, he made many good friends at the prison and earned the nickname "Smiley" for rushing around with a smile on his face. They'd tell you that Daniel was one of the greatest guys you'd ever get a chance to know and that he'd do anything he could to help a person out. And frankly put, there was precious little that he couldn't do! His knowledge was so vast that it could be said that he was a "Jack of all trades." He especially loved working on vehicles in his so-called "spare time", though, by the end of his tinkering, he'd always end up with a cut on his hand or on his distinctively bald head. That's how his family knew he did it right! Though he enjoyed spending time under the hood of a car, nothing brought more life to his living than making memories with his family. They took several trips to Holiday World while the girls were growing up and were even able to enjoy numerous cruises and trips, both locally and to destinations like Florida and even the Philippines! (Not bad for someone who had hardly gone as far as Terre Haute well into adulthood!) Back home, he took an interest in his girls' hobbies, to the point that, when they were playing softball, he was dubbed "The Dugout Dad"! He was also involved with the Palestine Masonic Lodge as well as the Outer West Market Church of Christ, where he sang once in front of the whole congregation on Easter Sunday. On August 9, 2008, he married Maria Bantican, and she survives. He is also survived by his daughters, Tara and Destiny Garrard (Robinson, IL); his mother & step-father, Jill & Riley Anderson (Flat Rock); his father, Timothy Garrard (Palestine); his mother-in-law, Cynthia Bantican (Palestine); his sister & brother-in-law, Mandy & Corey Green and their two boys, Blake and Brodie (Monroe City, IN); his sister, Tasha Gaddis and her three children, Lexus Gaddis (Robinson) and children London and Silas, Kegan Cooper (Palestine), and Alyah Gaddis (Palestine); his step-siblings, Nick Anderson, Amy Charles, Carrie Messel, and Cacey Anderson; his grandparents, Richard "Dick" & Carolyn Kent (Palestine); his uncles & aunts, Rich & Melanie Kent (Flat Rock), John Garrard (Palestine), and Sherry Horton (Palestine); his two sisters-in-law & brothers-in-law, Esper & Jeff Ealy (Robinson) and Amy & Ben Beckes (Palestine); his two brothers-in-law & sisters-in-law, Neil & Jeri Bantican (Palestine) and Mario & Mandy Bantican (Palestine); by his sister-in-law, Paula Bantican and two brothers-in-law, Roland Bantican and Ralph Bantican (all of Olongapo City, Philippines); as well as his former brother-in-law, Levi Gaddis. He is also survived by his nieces, Kenzie & husband, Derek Keeler (Robinson), Joanna Ealy & special friend, Kemel Kellum (Chicago), Brittany Sanchez and her daughter, Jocelyn (Robinson), Daylen "Merideth" Bantican Beckes (Palestine), Mavis Bantican (Palestine), and Jami Elder Deckard and her two children, Addy and Emerson (Palestine). His nephews include Elijah Beckes (Palestine), Manford" Manny" Bantican (Palestine), Dallas Daugherty and his wife, Sarah, with two sons, Leighton and Walker, and Blaze Elder and his fiancée, Codie Roberts (Palestine). He is also survived by special members of his extended family, Jim & Jean Rains (West York) and Robbie & Tara Vennard and their children (Palestine). He was preceded in death by his grandpa, William Kimberlin; his grandma, Sara Kimberlin; his step-mother, Sandy Wiseman Garrard; his father-in-law, Federico Bantican; his uncle, Zane Kimberlin; by his aunt, Teresa Kent; and by his nephew, Benjamin Sanchez. A time of visitation will be held from 1:30-5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 16th, at the Goodwine Funeral Home in Palestine. Masonic services will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, followed by a memorial service with his friend, Jeremy Patterson, officiating. A live stream of Daniel's services will be available on Goodwine Funeral Homes' Facebook page or by going to https://www.goodwinefuneralhomes.com/live-stream/live-stream . Memorials may be made to his memorial fund with checks made payable to "Goodwine Funeral Homes". Envelopes will be available at the funeral home. In honor of the weekend that changed his life, memorials may also be made to "Encounter Ministry", to help finance a camp to benefit the ministry.