He was born in Fresno, Calif., on All Saints Day, Oct. 31, 1929, to Steven Don Cantua and Mary Elizabeth Cantua (Hopkins). He was predeceased by his parents; his remarkable wife of 40 years and mother of his children, Shirley Cantua (Neves);his brother, Don Cantua; his first grandchild, Tammy Jarschke; his second wife, Bernadette Cantua, who succumbed to illness in a few short years; and his best man and longtime friend, U.S. Navy Seal Roland Curtis.
He leaves behind a grieving family: his wife, Esther Cantua; his children: Penny Cantua of Gardner, Mass., Brad Cantua (Jan) of Livermore, Calif., Jeanne Hamilton of Coupeville, Wash., and Judy Golden
of Keene; his grandchildren: Matthew Hamilton (Allison), Daniel Hamilton (Diana), Heather Phillips (Andrew), Richard Golden, Steven Pelton and Sarah Pelton; his great-grandchildren: Emma, Tanner, Mason and Ethan; and his stepchildren, who played an important role in his life: Blaine Ball (Cheri), Berdine Robinson (Matt) and Bryan Ball.
Ray grew up in a farming community near Fresco, Calif., which is known as a vital agricultural center in the world and is close to three national parks, including Yosemite National Park. Ray and his brother spent many summer days and weeks camping and exploring this beautiful park. Ray also was involved in the Boy Scouts of America.
At an early age Ray developed a love for horses. His father was a great cowboy and had a special talent with horses that Ray also developed. When the family moved from Laton to Hayward they brought the two horses, Brownie and Flash, with them.
Ray used to scuba dive for abalone and was sometimes requested to bring back specimens to the local aquarium. His major occupation was that of a truck driver. He loved his job driving semitrucks. Driving a Road Ranger 10 speed, Boxes Spicer 12 speed with a turbo, and having control of a good rig moving a
set doubles that grossed out over 95,000 pounds was a job he never got tired of doing. He was one of the hardest, most dedicated workers the company had working for them. He was not long haul so that he could have time with his family.
In 1984 Ray and Shirley moved to New Hampshire to live out their dream in a New England country farm house. They settled in a house built in 1880 in Fitzwilliam. Ray spent time lovingly repairing the home and after a lot of hard work “Fitzi Farm” looked like a page out of CountryLiving magazine. He loved living on the farm and caring for the goat, chickens and cat, Lucky. Ray enjoyed riding his daughter Penny’s Honda Rebel which included a trip to Pennsylvania and riding with his special friend, Roland.
Two years after his marriage to Esther on June 10, 2000, the couple moved to Lake Havasu City, Ariz., for 12 years, making many friends there. They acquired their first rescue pup, Boots, while living there. After losing this precious pet, they later found another rescue in Arizona, Belle, a constant companion and joy.
They moved back to New Hampshire in 2014 to reconnect with relatives from both sides. He loved the covered bridges only found in New England and getting away from the extreme temperatures in Lake
Havasu City.
Ray had many talents and hobbies. He spent hours with his son, Bradley, building and flying incredible model airplanes and working on cars. He was outstanding at woodworking and carving. His pieces won
many prizes at the Cheshire County Fair. He also carved many crosses with the appropriate
color ribbon to give to cancer survivors. His creativity was passed on to his daughters, Penny, Jeanne and Judy. Also, in his later life, he discovered he thoroughly enjoyed dancing. Ray and Esther could still cut a rug on the dance floor.
His children remember him as a strong, big-hearted loving man and a wonderful role model — a sincere, honest man always available for his family. They were proud to call him Dad! He will be terribly missed by his family. His wife, Esther, will remember his many talents, their love for each other and the many adventures they enjoyed traveling across this country with their RV.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Monadnock Humane Society, 101 West Swanzey Road, West Swanzey, NH 03446.
in his honor.
A celebration of life and visitation for Raymond will be held Thursday, June 2, 2022 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Foley Funeral Home, 49 Court Street, Keene, New Hampshire. A memorial service will occur Friday, June 3, 2022 at 11:00 AM at United Church of Christ, 23 Central Square, Keene, New Hampshire.
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