Leo Benatar

FUNERAL SERVICE: Graveside services will be held at 12:00 noon, Wednesday, October 1, 2025, at Arlington Memorial Park

STREAMING: Click HERE to stream the funeral service

DONATIONS: Donations made in memory of Leo can be directed to organizations that were most important to him, including the Crohns & Colitis Foundation at 4780 Ashwood Dunwoody Road, Suite 540 #474, Atlanta, Georgia, 30338; Congregation Or VeShalom, 1681 North Druid Hills Road, Atlanta, Georgia, 30319; or Georgia Institute of Technology, Alexander Tharpe Fund, 150 Bobby Dodd Way, Atlanta, Georgia, 30332.

GATHERING: A gathering will take place 6:30 pm and minyan service at 7:00 pm on Sunday, October 5 at Congregation Or VeShalom.

OBITUARY

Leo Benatar passed away on September 29, 2025, at the age of 95 in Atlanta, Georgia, surrounded by those he loved the most, his wife, his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Leo's accomplishments as an extraordinary business executive were well known, but at the core of his greatest accomplishments was his deep-rooted love and devotion to his family.

Leo is survived by his wife of 69 years Louise Cure Benatar; his daughters Ann Silver (Mike), Ruth Falkenstein (David), daughter-in-law, Diane Benatar, and his nine grandchildren, Edward Silver (Talia), Sarah Kleiman (Sammy), Lee Silver (Allie), Russell Falkenstein (Corinne), Leo Falkenstein (Hayley), Michael Falkenstein (Callan), Emily Falkenstein, Leah Gordon (David), Steven Benatar (Taylor), ten great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. Leo was preceded in death by his beloved son Morris L. Benatar and his brother Victor Benatar.

Leo was born in Atlanta, Georgia on February 21, 1930, at the onset of the Great Depression. He was the son of Morris and Mary Benatar, Jewish Sephardic immigrants from Rhodes, Greece. Leo's Sephardic Jewish heritage and the values instilled on him by his parents, created the foundation for a life of devotion to his religion, his core family values, to the benefits of higher education, and to giving to others and to his community.

Leo attended Boys High and graduated in 2 ½ years. While his thoughts of career were to join his father, who was the owner of an Atlanta institution, Vic's Deli, his father had other plans for him. A college degree was his only choice, so Leo attended Georgia Tech, and pursued a degree in Industrial Engineering, and graduated in 1951. Upon graduation, he was called to duty serving in the US Navy, assigned to the Admiral's staff and was honorably discharged in 1954. This set in motion an extraordinary career, built off the foundation of his Georgia Tech education, that he routinely named a central reason for his business achievements.

Leo was hired by the Atlanta Paper Company as an industrial engineer, rising through the corporate ranks as Mead Corporation acquired his company. A key moment in his career occurred when he was presented with the opportunity to rehabilitate an underperforming Mead packaging operation in Europe. His efforts and insight resulted in a turn-around for the struggling operation, earning advancement with Mead as he returned to the USA, ultimately resulting in being appointed the President of Mead Packaging. As a respected industry-leader in the packaging industry, he took on the challenge of the role of CEO and President of a struggling packaging company, Engraph, Inc. During his tenure at Engraph, his leadership resulted in meteoric growth of the small packaging company, growing from 20 million in sales to nearly 500 million at the time of acquisition of the company by Sonoco.

Leo served in many other industry leadership roles, on many public and private company Boards, and in similar capacities for many non-profit community service organizations. However, of all these many achievements, he was most proud of his opportunity to serve as the Chairman of The Federal Reserve, Southern District. But nothing in his life could compare to his three greatest loves, his wife Louise, his family, and his devotion to his alma mater, Georgia Tech. Leo's contributions to Georgia Tech have become part of the fabric of the institution, both in terms of service and his financial generosity.

While it is almost a self-fulfilling prophecy that successful business executives continue their life's work into retirement, Leo took a different path. His retirement years were filled with helping others, always finding time for his dear friends, for travelling with Louise, his love of golf, and most importantly, his role as a devoted grandfather to his many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. His role as the beloved "Papou" was his greatest accomplishment in his life, and one he cherished the most. If the measure of true success and fulfillment in life is determined by all the lives that are changed for the better, then Leo's life was defined by all those that are part of his legacy.

The family would also like to acknowledge Leo's wonderful team of devoted caregivers, including Gabriella, Olive, Sonia, Renae, and Caliear.

Graveside services will be held at 12:00 noon, Wednesday, October 1, 2025, at Arlington Memorial Park, with Rabbi Joshua Hearshen officiating. Donations made in memory of Leo can be directed to organizations that were most important to him, including the Crohns & Colitis Foundation at 4780 Ashwood Dunwoody Road, Suite 540 #474, Atlanta, Georgia, 30338; Congregation Or VeShalom, 1681 North Druid Hills Road, Atlanta, Georgia, 30319; or Georgia Institute of Technology, Alexander Tharpe Fund, 150 Bobby Dodd Way, Atlanta, Georgia, 30332. Dressler's Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999