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Cristina Diane (Grady) Benshoff (a.k.a. Kiki, Squeeks, Junior guppy) of Milton, FL, went to be with her maker, surrounded by family, on October 6, 2023, at the age of 46 after a brief and tragic illness.  She is survived by her husband and soulmate of 25 years, Joshua Benshoff, USN (retired), of Milton, FL; their sons Hunter (Adia) Benshoff, USN, and Hayden Benshoff; mother Denise (John) LeBlond of Buffalo, MO; father Jeffrey (Connie) Grady of Stacy, MN; sister Joy (Troy) Shaw of Sitka, AK; step-siblings Cheri (Kurt) LeBlond and Ken (Kirsten) LeBlond of Amherst, MA; and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.  She was preceded in death by her grandparents Matthew and Beverly Grady of North Branch, MN, and Robert and Ardelle Stewart of Forest Lake, MN; uncle Michael Grady of North Branch, MN, and aunt Diane Stewart, of Minneapolis, MN.

Born on May 28, 1977, Cris attended North Branch schools where she played trumpet and softball, skied at Wild Mountain, and was on the girls gymnastics team.  She graduated in 1995 and joined the Navy as an Aviation Electronics Technician where she met Josh.  She left the Navy to raise their growing family and later went on to obtain her BSN from Binghamton University in 2011.  At the time of her death, she was the head of the Vascular Access Department at Studer Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart in Pensacola, FL.  

She was an exceptional nurse and caregiver, avid home-improvement DIY’er, gardener, scuba diver, Dave Matthews junkie, and dog-lover.  

Most importantly, though, she was deeply committed to her husband and sons; it was plain to see that they were her everything.

A service for her immediate family will be held April 6, 2024, at the Barrancas National Cemetery on Pensacola Naval Air station with a Celebration of Life to follow at their family home in Milton. 

She was loved by many and will be dearly missed by her family. 

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