Riccardo Benvenuto

Riccardo Benvenuto, M.D., known to friends and colleagues as "Dr. B", passed away on March 23, 2023 at age 94 at Northwestern Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Benvenuto was born in Genoa, Italy on June 6, 1928, the son of Arturo and Maddalena Olga Benvenuto. He was the youngest child of the couple, with his father passing away before his birth, thereby leading him to be raised by his mother. His brother Edoardo preceded him in death in Savona, Italy. Dr. Benvenuto graduated from San Martino Medical School in Genoa, Italy in 1953. During this time he met the love of his life Maria who later became an international well known pediatric cardiologist. The couple married in 1960. After graduation and military service, he worked at the Italian Hospital in London and the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton, Canada and thereafter migrated to the United States where he undertook an internship in surgery at Northwestern University. He later specialized in vascular surgery and served many years in a teaching position and medical practice at Grant Hospital in Chicago. After many years of successful practice, Dr. Benvenuto focused on his favorite pastimes, including carpentry, motor vehicles, opera, yachting, and travel. Dr. Benvenuto was known for his larger than life personality, his dedication to the medical profession, and his love of the sea. His passion for the sea is manifested in many trophies for sailing competitions through the years. He was fond of his hometown Chicago because Lake Michigan reminded him of his native Mediterranean city of Genoa, where, with his wife Maria, he returned every year to catch up with many longtime friends. After retirement, the couple spent their summers on the Michigan shore near their longtime home. He will be sorely missed by his wife, relatives, and friends on both sides of the Atlantic. Donations in his honor may be made to the Instituto Mario Negri di Milano, which conducts research in medical science. For more information see https://www.marionegri.it/eng/support-research. A private service will be held for family and friends.