LTC Richard Benito (Ret)

On April 13, 2025, Richard Benito passed on to be with the Lord. Services to honor Richard’s life will be held on Thursday, April 24th, at Fort Bliss National Cemetery.

On December 15, 1929, in the Lower East Side of New York City, Richard was born to Frank and Jesuita Benito. He was the oldest son; his two brothers Carlos (Rocky) Benito and Franky Benito preceded him in death. Richard was selected to attend the prestigious Stuyvesant High School, where only 2% of applicants are accepted. He often talked about his time at Stuyvesant where he described it as one of his most impactful times in his life. Richard received his Bachelor’s at UNO and his Master’s degree in Psychology at UTEP.

Accomplishments/Loves

Richard served 20 years in the United States Army, obtaining the rank of Lt. Colonel by the time he retired in 1972. Richard was a member of the “Swim for Your Life Club” at the Replica Pool at Fort Bliss, exceeding 500 miles. His accomplishments were plenty; including reading, swimming, singing praises to the Lord in the Choir at Center Chapel and USASMA Memorial Chapel at Fort Bliss, TX. Richard was also an avid pilot and loved to fly, often taking his family to Alamogordo, N.M., in his Diamond D-40. He cherished piloting Honor flight #10 along with many Angel flights. Richard was also known for volunteering with the Department of Veterans Affairs, where he began receiving numerous certificates exceeding 10,000 volunteer hours.

Family

Richard's first wife, Christina preceded him in death in February 2019. He is survived by his wife Donna Lauher Benito, his stepsons Damien and James, his stepdaughter Keavy and his grandson Bambino Titus and granddaughter Isabella, his son, retired LTC Ricky Benito and his daughter, Chrissy Benito Pikna and son-in-law Robert Pikna and grandson Spencer Pikna.