BENAROIA, Alfred - June 16, 1938 - November 6, 2020 -
With profound sadness, we announce the passing of Alfred Benaroia on November 6, 2020. Alfred died at home after a long illness, with his wife Daliah by his side.
Alfred is survived by Daliah (ne Gelman), his loving wife of 56 years and their three children Tami Benaroia Tarr, Iris Benaroia and Mark Benaroia.
The only child of Rashel Meir Benaroia (d. 2004) and Marco Benaroia (d.1945), Alfred was born in Dobrich, Bulgaria, emigrating, together with his mother, to Israel after World War II.
Losing his father at a young age, Alfred found community at Kibbutz Ein Ha'Horesh, in Netanya, where he grew up, due to an infamously acrimonious relationship with his stepfather.
Alfred served in the Israeli army, fighting in the Six Day War. Devoted to the world of aviation from a teenager, Alfred studied to be an aircraft engineer (later earning his pilot's license) at The Technion (Ha-Tekhniyon) in Haifa. After stints in aviation in Israel, he moved to Toronto in 1969 with Daliah and Tami. After Iris was born, the family relocated to Nassau, Bahamas, where Alfred worked at Bahamas Air until 1975, when the family moved back to Toronto, where Mark was born.
Alfred flew both passenger and cargo planes, and was an engineer for Wardair, United Airlines, Air Charter Systems, Air Canada, Pan Am, Air Transat and other airlines.
As a sociable "hevre man" (as they say in Hebrew) Alfred attracted lifelong friends throughout his adventures.
Friendly and inclusive, Alfred warmly welcomed his children's spouses into the family: Bruce Tarr (Tami), Tony Amaro (Iris) and Ilana Kotlarenko (Mark) and his grandchildren Adrian Benaroia (Tami Benaroia / Ian McKenzie), Zachary and Ari Benaroia (Mark), Charlie Benaroia Amaro (Iris), as well as Adrian's wife Grace Benaroia, his great-grandchildren Milo and Calla (Adrian) and his step-grandchildren (Tami), Hannah and Charlotte.
A gravesade service took place on Sunday, November 8, 2020.
In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to The Toronto Humane Society (torontohumanesociety.com). Alfred always looked out for his furry friends, and would escort even a spider outdoors rather than go the alternative route. He was like that.
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