Alio Benedetti

Alio Benedetti

Al was born in Cleveland’s Collinwood area on January 16, 1922, the youngest of seven children.  His parents were Italian immigrants.  At the age of nine, his family moved to Cleveland Heights around the Noble Road area where his father opened a tailor /dry cleaning shop.  He delivered the dry cleaning on a bicycle.  His mother died when he was only 16 years old.  Al was athletic, was good in sports and was an avid roller skater and dancer.

In 1941, he graduated from Cleveland Heights High and went to work for a short time in a machine shop before enlisting in the Marines during World War II.  He was shipped out to the South Pacific Theater after six weeks in boot camp to fight in the island jungles.  He was in the message center, radio and a mortar platoon and was posted to:  Pango Pango, Eniwetok, Kwajalein, Guadalcanal, Guam, and the Marshall Islands.  Another sad loss was the death of his father in 1943 while he was fighting in the South Pacific.  He was discharged in 1946 and returned to Cleveland and found work in another machine shop.  He was greeted at home by his dog Giant.

But he was young and restless and in 1947 he moved to Los Angeles to join his brother and sisters.  He had met his wife to be in 1946 and they corresponded for three years.  He and Angela were married on February 4, 1950, and drove back to California taking in the New Orleans’ Mardi Gras along the way.  Al worked for Pacific Bell and was co-owner of a hot dog stand where he and Angela would serve meatball sandwiches to Hollywood notables!

In 1952 they decided to move back to Cleveland and drove cross country again.  Al took the firemen’s exam in South Euclid and was one of five men hired to start a full time Fire Department.  He served 23 years and ran a wall washing/painting business on his off days.  He and his wife built the house they lived in for the rest of his life in Highland Heights, next door to his in-laws.  He and Angela were married for 65 years, had four children, three girls and a boy and three grandchildren.  He made sure the family adopted dogs along the way, especially their Border Collie, Miffy.

After retiring in 1975, Al and Angela traveled extensively, taking trips to Europe and beyond.  Al volunteered at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes.  He became an active member in the Knights of Columbus Gilmour Council #310, the Indian Hills Amateur Radio Club, and the American Legion Post 775.  He reconnected with his Marine buddies by joining the 6^th Marine Division Association and started attending their annual reunions.  He loved music, especially Big Band and the Italian American singers of the day.  He and Angela were famous for their love of ballroom dancing and the pair would go to different cities each weekend to dance with like-minded friends.  He spoke to people around the world with his ham radio after having made his first razor blade crystal set while serving in the South Pacific.  He was a superb handyman and could talk to anyone.  He became known as a “man’s man.”

He’s now guarding the Gates of Heaven with his 6^th Marine Division Buddies.

Semper Fi, Al!

ALIO J. “AL” “BUD” BENEDETTI, age 95. Entered into eternal life May 22, 2017. Beloved husband for 65 years of the late Angela Rose (nee Licurs); loving father of Anita, Melinda, Lisa and Mark (wife Diane DeCamillo); devoted grandfather of Jessica, Nicholas and Matthew Benedetti and Anthony DeCamillo; cherished son of the late Joseph and Anita (nee Petromilli); dearest brother of the late Jean Reeves, Clara Maronski, Bruce, Elda Johnson, Mary Benedetti and Gilda Monak; dear uncle and great-uncle of many.

Contributions may be made in Alio’s memory to Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine, 21281 Chardon Rd. Euclid, OH 44117.

Funeral Mass Saturday, May 27, 2017 at St. Paschal Baylon Catholic Church at 10:00 AM. Burial following with military honors at All Souls Cemetery.  Family will receive friends at THE DeJOHN-FLYNN-MYLOTT FUNERAL HOME OF SOUTH EUCLID, 4600 MAYFIELD RD. (just east of Green Rd.) FRIDAY 2-4 & 5-8PM.