Robert Joseph Cantanio Sr.

Bob was born to Italian immigrants, Emilio and Germinia Cantanio, in Brooklyn, NY where he grew up, married, and started his family. He established a strong and promising career in upstate NY as an Architectural Engineer but was tragically cut short by a brain abscess leaving him paralyzed before his 30th birthday. He spent the rest of his life demonstrating his indominable will to live and unwavering strength and endurance to overcome challenges. He was well regarded for his service through the years to include church usher, meals on wheels coordinator, volunteer EMS dispatcher, and reliable jokester always on the alert for an opportunity to make someone laugh. He refused to let his broken body define him, even as his life expired.

Parents, Emilio and Germinia, are buried in New York along with their first-born son, Frankie, who lost his life before Bob was born. Bob is survived by his big sisters, Mary Zanfardino of Paramus, NJ and Frances Kelleher of Bayville, NJ, and by his children, Rob Cantanio of Clemmons, NC, Dina Marie Arrington of Lexington, SC, and Solomon Cantanio of Tuscon, AZ. Bob has been in the loving full time care of his son and daughter-in-law, Rob and Cheryl Cantanio for the last seven years of his life where he continued to worship God with his family and was able to see his grandkids, Christina Cantanio Held, Anthony Robert Cantanio, Joseph Emilio Cantanio, and Rebekah Marie Cantanio, grow into strong, capable, independent adults each with their own unique brands of indominable drive and fervor.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 27th at 11am at Calvary Baptist Church in the main sanctuary. The service will be live streamed at https://calvarynow.online.church/