Corinne Benhoff

Corinne Benhoff loved the fall in Wisconsin. The crisp air, the changing of the leaves, and the anticipation of the holiday season about to begin. On Sunday, October 2, 2022, she attended her virtual mass at the Brookside Care Center, had lunch, and laid down for her afternoon nap, only to wake up in heaven with those she had loved and lost.

Corinne was born on August 24, 1932 in an area of Chicago now known as Wrigleyville, to Casmir and Agnes (Mockus) Stec. Her father was a butcher in the area, and she enjoyed spending her early years there with her best friend and only sibling, Ronnie. They then moved to Kenosha where Corinne attended and graduated from St Peters School and Kenosha High School. Her brother Ronnie was called to action when Corinne was just a little girl. He was a paratrooper in the Korean war and was killed in action. She never got to see her best friend again. To celebrate her love for her brother, at age 80, she jumped out of a plane in Kenosha County, and parachuted down to earth in his memory. The Kenosha News covered the event as it was truly a magical moment.

After high school, Corinne went on a trip to California to visit her Aunt Mary. On that trip, she met and fell in love with a soldier from back home in Breese, IL, Leander Benhoff. He was stationed at the Travis Air Force Base. They were married shortly after and moved back to Kenosha where they raised their loving family. Corinne worked for a short time as a secretary at MacWhyte Wire Rope but spent most of her years as a homemaker and raising their five children. She loved to cook and, in the kitchen, was proud of her Lithuanian heritage. Her Kugelis recipe is still used today at the St Peters festival!

Corinne was full of life and love. Affectionately known as “Mrs. B”, she made friends everywhere she went. From local taverns and restaurants (her mother’s brother owned Mockus Tap) to her favorite cabins on Lake Nocquebay in Crivitz, WI, to Cubs spring training in Arizona (she was a member Peggy’s Pit Crew at Sloan Park), people seemed to be drawn to Mrs. B. Her smile, quick wit, and ability to tell stories at that drop of a hat were just a few things that people enjoyed about Mrs. B.  but it was her friendship, kindness, and humility that formed the bonds that everyone loved and shared.

Corinne was a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan. She was also a Packer fan, but her real passions were baseball and fishing. Watching the Cubs on WGN, cheering for Santo, Williams, and Banks, she was blessed enough to see her Cubbies win the World Series in 2016. Her love for fishing was also fun to experience. From her early years on the North Pier in Kenosha to Lake Nocquebay in Crivitz, she could be heard calling out “Here fishy, fishy, fishy” right before a nice perch or bluegill would take her bait. She will be fondly missed by so many, even the fish!

Corinne is survived by her son, Ron (Jackie) Benhoff, Lisa (Ray) Moravec, John (Jennifer) Benhoff, Amy (Steve) Richards; her daughter-in-law, Jill (Bruce) Benhoff; her grandchildren, Nicole and Nathan Benhoff, Wendy Moravec, Benjamin Benhoff, Joey, Ryan, and Sean Trecker, Kayla Stein; her five great-grandchildren, her cousin, Vic Mockus and her wonderful friend, Peggy Dosemagen. She was preceded in death by her parents, Casmir and Agnes; her husband, Leander; her brother, Cpl. Ronald Stec; her son, Bruce Benhoff; her grandsons, Christopher Benhoff and David Moravec; her granddaughter, Katie Moravec, and far too many in-laws, aunts, uncles, cousins to name and her childhood best friend, Patsy Alderson.