Paul Cantor
Paul Cantor, of Framingham, Massachusetts, died Sunday evening, April 19, 2020 at the Hebrew Rehabilitation Center in Roslindale. He was 83. He was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, and attended Barringer High School, and Rutgers University. A man of many talents, he worked as a buyer and merchandise manager for large chain department stores, owned and operated a car rental agency in Boston, and managed numerous businesses before retiring. His employees adored him. In later life, he discovered his love of working with children, and for more than 12 years, was a reading/literacy pied piper and tutor to adoring second graders at the Hemingway School in Framingham. For children of all ages, he was self-appointed greeter at Shabbat morning services at Temple Israel in Natick. He would stop traffic for single malt whisky, Shakespeare, a majestic tree, Robert Frost, a Red Sox game, a call from a friend, or any kind of chocolate,
But of all of his loves, nothing surpassed his devoted adoration for Omi, his wife of 62 years, his three sons and their spouses – Marc and Emily Lazar (of Newtonville), Steve and Zhanna (of Newton), Larry and Deborah (of Sudbury); his six grandchildren and their spouses/partners – Dmitri and fiancee Dinah Ribarsky (of Watertown), Tali and Michael Feldman (of Jackson Heights, NY), Eva and fiance Ralf De Houwer (of Sausalito, CA), Josh and Ilayda Williamson (of West Roxbury), Max and Avanna (of Winterville, GA), and Nate Baker (of Newtonville); and his three great-grandchildren – Oren, Lev, and Mischa. The love was mutual; to most, he will always remain their “PapaPaul.” He mourned the loss of his only brother Mert, but was comforted with the love of his sisters-in-law Roberta Diamond (of Towaco, NJ) and Judith Lieb (of New Jersey), and his nephews and nieces and surrogate children, Jo, Michael, Karen, Howard and Matt. He was a devoted nephew and son, caring for his mother Janet into her 90s and maintaining a connection to all the extended families. No man loved family more.
Given the limitations imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, the funeral service will be private, and the family will establish virtual shiva times and a virtual memorial service.
Donations in his memory can be made to the charity of the donor’s choice, but Paul would have supported the Jewish Community Relations Council to benefit their literacy tutoring program, the Lewy Body with Dementia Association, Temple Israel of Natick, or Hebrew Senior Life.