George C. Sotiroff, 61, Woodstock, died Friday, June 24, 2016, at JourneyCare Hospice, Barrington. He was born March 9, 1955, to George J. and Mattie (Logan) Sotiroff in Granite City.  In 1982 he married Joanne Sieck at St. Mary Catholic Church, Woodstock. He loved jazz music and was a bass guitarist. He was an active member of St. Mary Church and played in the contemporary choir.  He also was a member of the CR Praise and Worship Band.  He most enjoyed spending time with his children, his granddaughter, and his extended family. He will be remembered for hosting the family barbecues featuring his famous smoked meats. Survivors include his parents, Granite City; his wife; five children, Daniel Sotiroff, Naperville, Amanda

Charles J. “Chuck” Taylor, 62, Woodstock, died Thursday, June 2, 2016, at JourneyCare Hospice Center, Woodstock. He was born Sept. 15, 1953, to John T. “Jack” and Doris (McNeil) Taylor in Woodstock. He was a member of the Woodstock Moose Lodge. He enjoyed photography and traveling all over the country with his daughter. Survivors include his daughter, Danielle Taylor; two sisters, Laurel Anne (Joe) Burchardt and Beth (Dan) Webster, all of Woodstock; a brother, Andrew (Joan) Taylor, Florida; four nephews and nieces, Drew (Bekky) Taylor, Carling Taylor, Taylor Webster and Jamie (Rob) Ehlenburg; a great-nephew, Sammy; and a great-niece, Lexy. He was preceded in death by his parents and grandparents. A Celebration of Life will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday,

Darlene S. Fiske, 86, Bull Valley, died peacefully Wednesday, June 1, 2016, at her home, the Cold Springs Schoolhouse, Bull Valley, surrounded by her family.  She was born Nov. 4, 1925, to Arthur E. and Alma (Melchior) Sharp in Chicago. In 1954, she married Kenneth V. Fiske of Chicago and moved to Woodstock.  She graduated from Northwestern University, where she was a member of Alpha Phi sorority and Mortar Board, and pursued a master’s degree in library science at the University of Chicago.  Prior to her marriage, she had a successful career in television production with NBC Chicago, which included shows such as Zoo Parade (from the Lincoln Park Zoo), Wild Kingdom and Mr. Wizard.  She was a homemaker and volunteer. She

John Neil Byrnes, 75, died peacefully Saturday, June 4, 2016, at Cottingham Hospice House in Seneca, S.C.  He was born April 7, 1941, to Charles and Harriet (Pinkerton) Byrnes in Evanston, the youngest of four children.  He was an accomplished Boy Scout and Eagle Scout and enjoyed working on cars. His love of cars continued throughout his life, owning several sports cars, his last one a Corvette.  He met Loretta “Laurie” Hart on a blind date, and they married Feb. 27, 1960, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Glenview.  While one of his early aspirations was to be the best auto mechanic there ever was, he realized he was an excellent salesman. His sales success led to starting his

Joseph William “Bill” Banker Jr. 81, Woodstock, died Thursday, May 26, 2016, at his home.  He was born July 28, 1934, to Joseph and Margaret (Foran) Banker in Summit.  On March 17, 1997, he married Lisa Gerloff in Woodstock. Bill had a varied and interesting life. A gifted pitcher, he was a varsity baseball player all four years at Argo High School. The highlight of his high school career came his senior year when he pitched three innings for the suburban all-stars at Comiskey Park. Following graduation in preparation to go to Yale on a football scholarship, he attended Cheshire Academy in Cheshire, Conn.; he was named to their athletic hall of fame in 1993. He later attended the University of