Antonio Benecchi, 62, of Chicago, passed away after a courageous battle with cancer, leaving behind a life that seemed to hold several lifetimes within it.
Born in Busseto and having lived in both Parma and Milan, Italy, Antonio moved through the world with an elegance that was unmistakably his own. He was intellectually curious, stylish and striking, and had an instinctive appreciation for history, architecture, beauty and the culinary arts.
He began his career in Milan with companies including L’Oréal and Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. In 1999, he moved to the United States, where he built a distinguished career advising automotive giants before dedicating his talents to public sector work at Civic Consulting Alliance in Chicago. There, he spent more than a decade helping leaders shape initiatives that strengthened Chicago’s economy and cultural institutions.
He believed deeply in practical solutions and efficient action. Colleagues knew him as brilliant, incisive, and disarmingly direct—a man who spoke plainly and pointedly not out of severity, but because he valued clarity, momentum and results.
Antonio’s life was full in every sense. He loved spy novels, action films, and especially the James Bond series, whose lines he could recite with theatrical precision. He traveled widely and often adventurously. Yes, he almost became a skydiving instructor. He equally loved being home reading in his “sun spot” or discussing politics and policy, cinema or Italian culture and cuisine.
Antonio’s proudest title was not principal, strategist, or advisor. It was husband. In 2013 he met his soulmate, Azar Alexander. Their meeting was simple and almost cinematic: a glance across a room, a shy smile behind a beer, and a hello that became the love of a lifetime.
They married in May 2025, sealing a partnership defined by devotion, laughter, tenderness, Azar’s homecooked meals and a deep mutual respect and understanding. Friends often remarked that the two seemed to speak a private language all their own.
Antonio is survived by his husband Azar; his mother Ada; his siblings Francesca, Guglielmo, and Danila; his cherished nieces and nephews Antonio “Toto,” Adele, Lucia, Tommaso, Giulio, Andrea, Agnese and Danilo; and a wide constellation of family, friends and colleagues across continents. Antonio is preceded in death by his father, Danilo (d. 2006).
Antonio lived vividly, spoke honestly, loved deeply, and left the world measurably better than he found it.
The celebration of life ceremony for Antonio Benecchi will be held on Thursday, Feb. 26, from 3-5 p.m. at the Chicago Cultural Center’s Preston Bradley Hall, 78 E. Washington St. Doors will open at 2:30 p.m., and remembrances (open tributes and reflections) will occur between 3-4 p.m. The celebration program will begin promptly at 4 p.m. A reception will follow from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Chicago Athletic Association, Second Floor, in the Drawing Room (name of the nook located inside the Library), 12 S. Michigan Ave.
Livestream the service here: www.asimplestreaming.com/abenecchi/ All times are stated in Central Time (CT).
Arrangements by Inclusive Funeral Care, 773-318-1305 or www.InclusiveFuneralCare.com.