Christopher “Chris” A. Benhoff

Christopher “Chris” A. Benhoff, age 31, passed away on December 17, 2015 after a hard fought battle against complications from leukemia.

Chris was born in Kenosha at St. Catherine’s Hospital on September 27, 1984. He was the son of Jacqueline (Stoebe) Benhoff and Ron Benhoff. Chris and his family moved to Michigan, Washington, and eventually Arizona, where he was educated in the local schools. Chris graduated from Mt. Pointe High School in 2003 where he was a standout football player and wrestler. Instead of participating in these sports in college, Chris decided to follow his true passion-cooking.

The lines were drawn for Chris’s future when he was very young,helping his mom Jackie in the kitchen. He was making crepes and eggs benedict by the age of 7. You could always find Chris experimenting with different foods or he would be outside skateboarding or getting into mischief with his close buddy, Kenneth Sheely.

Chris started his cooking career at Nello’s of Ahwatukee right after high school. He enrolled at the prestigious Arizona Culinary Institute where he graduated with honors. He was then recruited by the famous Phoenician restaurant in Phoenix. He left the Phoenician to work at the Arizona Grand Resort and was employed at AJ’s in DC Ranch when he was unexpectedly diagnosed with leukemia in 2012. Chris had a bone marrow transplant later that year but continued to battle graft versus host complications until the end. Chris was always a fighter but you could never tell he was suffering. His infectious smile and positive attitude were always on display. He helped other cancer patients with their struggles and his group of friends was endless. He will be missed by so many people. He was also a fan of the Detroit Red Wings and was a die-hard Green Bay Packers fan.

Chris is survived by his mom, Jackie; his “pops”, Ron; his grandparents, Harry and Nancy Stoebe and Corinne Benhoff; his Aunt Juli (Tim) Georno, Uncle John (Gina) Stoebe, Aunt Jill (Bruce) Benhoff, Aunt Lisa (Ray) Moravec, Uncle John (Jennifer) Benhoff, Aunt Amy Trecker, and cousins, Stefanie Quinn and Patrick Georno, Katie and Hanna Stoebe, Nathan and Nicole Benhoff, Wendy Moravec, Benjamin Benhoff and Kayla Stein, and Joey, Sean, and Ryan Trecker; along with many nieces and nephews, especially his little buddy, Gavin Quinn.

He was preceded in death by his grandfather, Leander Benhoff; uncle, Bruce Benhoff; his niece, Katie Moravec and nephew, David Moravec.