Philip A. Kantor's Obituary
Philip Kantor, age 97, died on May 13, 2018. It is difficult to share the news about losing someone you loved your entire life. That’s our dad. While facts about him are impressive, the truth is that there are other more powerful ways to describe him.Dad was everyone’s friend… everyone’s. No matter how someone knew Dad, he was excited to see them. Dad’s conversations went far beyond simple greetings. He asked the person about every child and grandchild by name, waiting to hear an update as if he were part of their family; he was familiar with details that others forget… “Did your son get into the college he wanted to attend? He was going to major in… right?”Dad was open-minded beyond his years and his compassion had no boundaries. He would help anyone with anything at any time. More than once, he gave someone, literally, the shirt off his back – even his winter coat at a very cold funeral. There was nothing kind or loving that Dad wouldn’t do for another human being.It’s easy to understand why losing this compassionate man, our dad, is a loss for anyone whose path he crossed in life.Death forces us to think about all the details we can recall about the person we are losing. With Dad, remembering will consume our lives because he was that wise and that caring.Speaking personally… Dad was my biggest fan. In some ways, it used to embarrass me. When I was a child, he thought I was a concert pianist. Every time anyone walked in the house, he would enthusiastically ask me to perform. Even if I was not in the mood or embarrassed (and probably not that good at playing piano), I complied. This intense support never ended. He told everyone about my academic achievements, my jobs, my life in general. I took that energy with me when I went on job interviews. I knew that if Dad represented me in those meetings, I would get any job that I sought. I armed myself mentally with, “What would Dad say? How would Dad represent me? How would Dad convince this person to hire me?” It was extremely helpful – and effective! To Dad, each of his three children was a shining star.These past several months, we enjoyed and appreciated Dad’s countless smiles and loving comments. We constantly told him that he was the best father who ever lived. He always answered in his surprised and humble voice, “Really? Well, thank you! I love you more!”Facts about Philip KantorDad was born in his family’s home on June 18, 1920, in Memphis Tennessee. He graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1941 with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Engineering and was then employed by Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) as a structural and mechanical engineer in the construction of dams for energy production and flood control.At the age of 23, Dad was the youngest Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army.His military service began in 1941, serving in the 5th, 8th, 10th and 20th Armored Divisions. On January 8, 1945, he was ordered overseas with the 20th Armored Division and served in the European Theater.During the war, on November 17, 1942, he married the love of his life, Jacqueline Halperin, at Fort Benning, GA. Having met on a blind date planned by a cousin, they only knew each other for six weeks when they married. Mom and Dad shared 75 wonderful years together.At the end of the war, Dad returned home. Following his service, he was a general contractor, civil engineer and developer in Clarksdale, Mississippi and then Memphis, Tennessee. Licensed in multiple states, Dad designed and built hundreds of homes, buildings and factories throughout the country.Mom and Dad were blessed with 3 children: Hal Kantor, Judith (Roger) Stone, and Linda Goodwin-Parkinson (John); 8 grandchildren: Lori (Brian), Jonathan (Axa), Chris (Kim), Eric (Tricia), Hillary (Larry), Ginnifer (Josh), Melissa (Nate), Josi (Daniel); and 9 great-grandchildren: Becca, Scarlett, Nick, David, Oliver, Hugo, Graham, Callum, and Griffin. Dad is predeceased by mother, Rose Levinson Kantor, father, Harry David Kantor, his brother, Leon Kantor, sister, Mildred “Dolly” Jeneff, and brother, Bennie Kantor.A graveside service will be held on Friday, May 18, at 1:00 p.m. at Memorial Park Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, please donate to a children’s charity of your choice.(Written by Linda Goodwin-Parkinson, daughter)
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