Placido (Benny) M. Castro passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 17, 2021 from covid-pneumonia. Beloved husband of the late Jane G. Castro. He is survived by his children Bernard (Colleen), Marian Castro-Palanyk (Terence), Michael (the late Marianne), David, Daniel, Michelle Jaquez (Jose) and Richard (Kristen Driscoll) and his grandchildren Christine Castro (Alex Debski), Nicholas, Vincent (Hailey), Richard, George, Danielle, Erica, Rachel, Jaqueline (Walker Cutler), Michael, Richard and Isabel. He was a brother to several half-brothers and half-sisters and also an uncle to many nieces and nephews in the U.S. and Mexico.
He was born in Chicago, IL on February 24, 1930, and raised in Aquascalientes, Mexico from age 4 until age 17. At 17, he left his family and came back to the U.S. He did not know anyone nor did he speak English, but he came anyway to pursue the American Dream of a better life for his family. He worked on an orange farm in Texas where he picked oranges and was paid 5 cents per bushel. A year later he worked for the railroad laying railroad track in Ohio for the next six months. He came to Chicago to live with his uncle who got him a job at a slaughterhouse in the stock yards. He worked seventeen years as a meatpacker for Armour and Phelzer Brothers, and seventeen years as a teamster working on the loading docks of several trucking companies.
In Chicago, he met Jane Gonzalez, who was the love of his life. They were married for 46 years and raised seven children. Jane died in 2002 after battling diabetes for 12 years. He was her caregiver during that time. The medical staff at Christ Hospital would complement how he took care of his wife as he continually brought her in and out of the hospital on numerous occasions or took her to dialysis. He never complained. His devotion to her was a labor of love as he tended to her needs.
He cared deeply for his family and believed education was the path to succeed. He grew up poor and worked hard to support his family. He only had a 6th grade education, but he put all of his children through private schools because he did not want them to struggle through life like he did. He had a tough life sometimes working three jobs to make ends meet. He was selfless in his commitment to the dream he had for his family. He succeeded in achieving his goal to give his children the opportunity to get a good education. His legacy lives on through his seven children and ten grandchildren. He got to witness his legacy pass on to the next generation as he attended his grandchildren’s graduations from high school, college and graduate school. He was very proud of his family. How he lived his life and what he taught his family will not be forgotten. His true memorial will be keeping his memory alive by sharing his stories. He will be greatly missed.
Due to COVID-19, he will be cremated and a memorial service is planned for a future date. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations be made in his memory to the American Diabetes Association.
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