Paul Cantrell

Paul Donald Cantrell May 6, 1949 to August 4, 2024 (age 75) Paul Cantrell was born in Pampa, Texas to Mary Francis (Jones) Cantrell and Carl T. Cantrell. His childhood was filled with a great bunch of friends, days at his grandparents farm, jobs at various places in his small town and ''bench sitting'' on his high school football team. He also was a team manager for the basketball team. Paul left his panhandle town for Denton, Texas and College. He transferred to The University of Texas at Austin, where he graduated in December 1971. He stayed on in Austin, working at the Texas Highway Department and a mental health facility. In the summer of 1973, Paul left his beloved Austin for the desert of El Paso, Texas, to begin a graduate degree in Sociology. He was mentored by some remarkable faculty and would write his theses about riding at night with the El Paso Marshall's officers. In March of 1974 Paul met Carol Schuyler, an undergrad who was assigned to walk with him around the campus to encourage fellow students to vote in the student body elections. Instead of recruiting voters, Paul recruited Carol to fall in love. By April 4, 1974 they were engaged, eloping on November 23, 1974. After Paul's graduation in 1976, Paul and Carol remained in El Paso until January of 1978, Paul teaching and Carol helping to run an Outdoor Drama. Then they moved to Seattle in the hopes of an assistanceship for Paul at the University of Washington. Although he was offered one, he was also offered 8 others, and at least on paper, the best offer came from the University of Kentucky, so, off the two went to Lexington in the Fall of 1978. Paul was never convinced UK was the place for him, so during the Christmas holidays, visiting Carol's family in New Jersey, Paul decided to visit The New School for Social Research on the advice of one of his mentors in El Paso. Thanks to the need for the head of the Sociology Department to finish a book he was in his office when Paul and Carol showed up to see if Paul might talk to someone about attending. After a 3 hour ''chat'', Paul was a PhD candidate at The New School for Social Research, Graduate Faculty to begin September 1979. Paul found a job notice on a board at TNS and brought it home to Carol, it was a job with the City of New York, thus began her career in the City. Paul was the department assistant in the Sociology Department working for some of the greats in his field. He relished his time at The New School. During his time at The New School, Carol and Paul decided it might be time to have children. Austin Travis Cantrell (named for Paul's beloved college town and county) was born on Alamo Day, March 1984, and then Karen Lynne Cantrell (named for two favorite Aunts) was born in July 1985. Paul was immediately a hands-on father. Living in New Jersey with Carol's mom Doris, Paul and Doris took on primary childcare responsibilities while Carol commuted to the City. The family moved to Staten Island from New Jersey in 1986. Paul and Doris continued their duties while Paul was continuing his education. Paul set up an office in the garage of their new home with a baby gate between the door to the garage and the family room where his two toddlers played and demanded his attention. Paul wrote his dissertation in that hot/cold garage from 1987 to 1988, he was awarded his PhD in Sociology in May of 1989. Paul began a short-lived teaching career at Wagner College in Staten Island. Doris had become ill and had moved away. When the college offered Paul a tenure track position he declined and became full-time childcare giver. He devoted himself to his children. The science projects, homework, writing and art projects he supervised were his pride and joy! When he might have returned to teaching upon the graduation of High School for both of the children Paul began a long journey of surgeries and illness that started in 2002 and lasted through August -October 2023 when he found remarkable care at NYU Langone hospital. Paul had a wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas, not to mention his and Carol's 49 th wedding anniversary in the Fall of 2023. One of the greatest joys of Paul's life was when Austin and wife Norana gave birth to his and Carol's grandson Rhys Schuyler Cantrell in June of 2017. Rhys made Paul so happy, every visit with Rhys elicited huge smiles from Paul. Paul especially loved all of Rhys's sleepovers. He loved eating pizza with Rhys and listening to Rhys read and talk with Yaya (Carol) before bed. In January of 2024 it was discovered, again at NYU, that Paul had stage 4 lung cancer. From that moment on he fought the battle of his life. Though his care team threw everything they could at the cancer, it was not enough to keep Paul alive and afford him a quality of life he deserved. After only one day of hospice care at NYU Langone, Paul lost his battle, but he was comfortable and knew he was loved. Paul has many family members who love and will miss him. Besides his children, daughter in law and grandson there are numerous nieces and nephews, in-laws, cousins and friends who will miss Paul's carefully crafted correspondence. Paul was one tough guy, he never stopped loving his family and his life. We hope Paul is laughing with some of those guys from high school and hugging his Mom and Dad, and that he is no longer in pain and in peace. The Family of Paul D. Cantrell Donations in Paul's name may be given to: NYU Langone Health Office of Development and Alumni Affairs One Park Ave. 5 th Floor NYC, NY 10016 or American Cancer Society Donate.cancer.org

Paul Cantrell

May 6, 1949 - August 4, 2024