Ricardo Benavides

Capt. Ricardo Benavides (USAF, Ret.) passed away after spending more than a month in the hospital battling an illness in Dallas, Texas, on Sunday, May 28th at 12:21 PM Central Time. He was born in Laredo, Texas, on September 24, 1951, enlisted in the United States Air Force in September 1972 and retired in February 1993; a career punctuated with great honor and a life underscored by devout faith.

As a high school student in Laredo, Ricardo performed in traveling big band orchestras, along with his father and brothers, throughout many southern states. As a college student in Laredo, he also started dating his future wife, Graciela, to whom he was married for 50 years. Ricardo left college and joined the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War because he felt a call to service. Ricardo spent the first half of his distinguished career as an enlisted service member and the second half as a commissioned officer, after applying to, and graduating from, Officer Training School at Randolph Air Force Base in 1981. His military career sent him and his family through much of the United States, to Honduras, and finally to Panama where he served honorably during Operation JUST CAUSE. Upon his retirement, Ricardo relocated first to San Antonio, Texas, and then later in retirement to Plano, El Paso, and finally McKinney, Texas. He spent his final decades of life celebrating, enjoying, and caring deeply for his wife, sons, and grandsons. Ricardo was steadfast in his devotion to family, honor, and the pursuit of excellence. He instilled a sense of pride in all he met and his contribution to our lives will be forever cherished.

Ricardo was preceded in death by his mother, Maria de los Angeles Hernandez; his father, Matilde Benavides; his brother, Hector Benavides; and his sister, Irene Trevino. Ricardo is survived by his wife of 50 years, Graciela Benavides; his brother, Enrique (& Yolanda) Benavides; his sister, Marta Benavides; his sons Raúl (& Michelle) and Andrés Benavides; and his grandsons, Evan and Cameron Benavides.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 10th, 2023, at 11 A.M. at Stonebriar Funeral Home in Frisco, Texas (10375 Preston Rd, Frisco, TX 75033) with a holy Mass and full military honors, to follow later, at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas.

In lieu of flowers please feel free to make memorial contributions to America’s Gold Star Families organization at https://www.americasgoldstarfamilies.org/ or any charity of your choosing that cares for military veterans and their families.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.stonebriarfh.com for the Benavides family.