Dolores B. Villa

Dolores Benitez Villa, a longtime resident of Park Forest, passed peacefully at her home on Friday, September 27, 2024. 

Dolores (Chachita) was born in the Canary Islands on January 26, 1934. She was the daughter of Manuel Sanchez Benitez and Maria Alfonzo Benitez. When she was 10 months old, her family moved to Cuba, which was her homeland throughout her childhood and early adult years. She was a graduate of the Havana School of Business. 

Her first job upon arriving in the United States was working for the Coca-Cola Company in Miami. No one who knew Cha would be surprised to learn that while she started in the file room, her focus and efficiency quickly earned her a position as secretary. She began her job at the Baker & McKenzie Law Firm in Chicago (which was the largest international law firm at the time) in 1957. She was a personal secretary to senior partner Russell Baker. Mr. Baker became a father figure to her, as her mother and father were in Cuba, and he even walked her down the aisle at her wedding. Once she married and started her family, she transitioned to the global accounting department within the law firm and remained there for 41 years until her retirement in 1998. The Cha Villa Award was designed in her honor and is given yearly to an employee at the firm who shows exemplary work. 

Dolores loved spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren, and also enjoyed seeing her many friends. She participated as a leader and cookie mom in Girl Scouts and volunteered her time with the American Diabetes Association. She traveled extensively during her career and enjoyed traveling with family as well, going everywhere from Madrid to Paris to Italy, and even back to Cuba several times. Her grandchildren have all witnessed her spirit of adventure and culture, taking special trips with her throughout the years. 

She was a true patron of the arts and loved musicals and movies. Notably, she was in the audience for the original Broadway production of The Music Man in Chicago at the Shubert Theater. She never missed The Academy Awards and was an avid viewer of the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and later, The Kelly Clarkson Show. She was passionate about keeping up with her current events, never shied away from a good debate or intellectual conversation, and always knew what was happening locally and around the world.

She was strong, intelligent, independent, caring and formidable; always standing up for what she believed. Everything she did, she did at the highest standards, and has left that legacy to her children and grandchildren. 

Dolores is survived by her brother, Jorge Benitez of Florida; three daughters, Marta (Dennis) Koonce of Frankfort, Anita (Allen) Eason of Manteno, Catalina (Jeff) Willhauck; a son, Ricky Villa of Park Forest; nine grandchildren, Jennifer, Michael, Jacob, Marisa, Micayla, Johnny, Jeremy, Jeffrey and Emily; and four great-grandchildren; Elliot, Hudson, Harper and Isaac. She was preceded in death by her former husband, Ricardo Jose Villa; her brothers; Manuel Benitez, Pedro Benitez and Carlos Benitez.

Family will receive friends at Kurtz Memorial Chapel, 65 Old Frankfort Way, Frankfort IL 60423 on Friday, October 11th, 2024 from 9:30 AM until time of the funeral service at 11:00 AM. Interment, Calvary Cemetery, Steger IL.