Southside Rick, Slick Rick, Chi-town, and Ricky were some of the nicknames affectionately given to Raschell Benjamin. The name given to him at birth was quite perplexing to most. Many thought the name was for a girl child. The name actually belonged to a great man born in Chicago, Illinois on August 31, 1948 to Alice and Henry Benjamin. Raschell was the couple's only child. Outside the home, he told friends and acquaintances he was addressed as Ricky.  The Southside of Chicago served as his stomping grounds. There he would go to local shows to see his favorite performer James Brown. He actually got to meet the Godfather of Soul before the show started. It was also on these streets of the windy city where he met the mother of his first child, Cortez. After graduating from Hales Franciscan High School, Ricky arrived in New York City and worked in the financial industry but he always knew he wanted to work for himself and eventually became a yellow taxi cab medallion owner.  His drive for new experiences landed him a spot singing alongside Luther Vandross in the group Listen My Brother. While his pursuit of stardom did not land any major gigs, he did lock down a starring role in the life of Marilyn Wendler. Ricky met the beautiful woman he affectionately called "Merl" because with his Chicago twang, he had a hard time saying Marilyn. On November 28th, 1970, Marilyn and Ricky started their lives together as husband and wife and had two children together, Tracie and Jamal. Husband, father, grandfather and soul food connoisseur is what many will remember most about the patriarch of the family. The family of four resided in Queens, NY for most of the couple's marriage. Ricky loved food. BBQ and soul food kept a smile on his face. If you wanted to see a scowl on his face, try dipping your fork into his food.  Making folks laugh and being silly was his calling card at family events.  Ricky was also a big kid.  Even when he reached his elderly years, he'd still purchase toys for himself.  Later in life, his diet caught up with him and he developed early onset Dementia which eventually took its toll on his mind and body. Raschell Benjamin passed away on July 21, 2021. He is survived by his wife, Marilyn, three children, Cortez, Tracie and Jamal, grandchildren, Brianna, Judah, Brave, and Jaliyah Rose along with a host of family and friends, specifically Pia Johnson, Virginia Maldonado and Ebony Thomas. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Alzheimer's Association.