Henry Cantu Jr.

Henry Cantu, Jr.

1951 ~ 2020

Henry Cantu Jr. went to be with His Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on July 14, 2020. Henry Cantu Jr. was born on October 31, 1951 in Houston, Texas to Henry Cantu Sr. and Inez Cantu. He was the oldest of 8. He married Noemi Sosa on June 9, 1974 and they went on to have 5 children. They divorced in 2003. He is survived by his children: Cynthia Cantu Rodriguez (and husband Carlos A. Rodriguez) and their children Carlos A. Rodriguez, his little buddy Lorenzo A. Rodriguez, Rebekah C. Rodriguez, and David Henry Rodriguez, daughter Jeanette L. Cantu and her son Moses R. Carranza, son Henry Cantu III (and wife Gabby Anaya), son Andrew A. Cantu (and wife Erica Cantu) and sons Andrew A. Cantu and Jonathan J. Cantu, daughter Stephanie Cantu Moreno (and husband Felipe Moreno) and daughters Adriana A. Moreno and Mia G. Moreno.  He is also survived by his siblings: Adam Cantu (and wife Christine Cantu), Ernestine Rocha, Richard Cantu, Mark Cantu, Steven Cantu, Yolanda Danas (and husband Ralph Danas), and Larry Cantu, plus numerous nieces, and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents.

Henry grew up in the Magnolia area in Houston. He attended John R. Harris Elementary, Thomas A. Edison Junior High, and Milby High School. He worked hard at an early age, going with his father to roof at the age of 14. He worked other jobs, but ultimately, he joined his father’s successful roofing company and worked in that field for 20 + years. Later, he worked for Metal Prep company as an Angle Line Operator.  He retired in 2018.  He looked forward to his retirement because all he wanted to do was spend more time with his grandchildren. Henry was completely devoted to his family.

Henry loved God’s Creation stemming from the days of growing up with his brother Adam and exploring the bayous and forests of Houston. He loved nature, nature shows, walks by the bayou, parks, especially Mason Park. He looked forward to the sounds of the cicadas in the summer. Whenever there was a small body of water, he loved to look for turtles. He was a great storyteller with a great sense of humor. He would often tell his children and grandchildren of all his adventures growing up, with experiences that were reminiscent of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. His children nor his grandchildren ever tired of hearing the same stories.  He was a huge boxing aficionado! He passed his enthusiasm for boxing to his children. His all-time favorite boxer was Salvador Sanchez. He loved watching war documentaries, especially about World War II. He loved old movies like Tarzan, Godzilla, King Kong, westerns, and action movies. He loved to listen to music. His favorite being 70’s rock, Motown, oldies, and the Spanish “coros” he grew up listening to in church.

Henry was a big kid at heart and lived to indulge his grandchildren with whatever they wanted to do. He had a very endearing, special relationship with each one, often accompanied by a nickname. He was known affectionately to them as “Yeye.” He played board games, card games, he downloaded games for them on his tablet, rode terrifying roller coasters with them, watched their movies with them, took them out to eat, took them to the park, went on long walks with them, made them laugh, listened intently to them, and imparted wisdom and a few jokes with every conversation. He went on field trips, attended their shows, took them to church plays, took them swimming, and weekly took them to Walmart, their favorite outing. He often babysat them when they were babies. He was always very “hands on”; changing their diapers, preparing the bottle to feed them, rocking them to sleep, (probably his favorite), as he would just hold them close and smell their heads. His, was a heart filled with love and affection, for his children and grandchildren. His concern for his loved ones was that they always remember their faith and follow Jesus. Truly, a man who lived a simple life in an extraordinary way.

Jesus said, “… I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die.”

John 11:25, 26

Visitation:  Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Times:  9:00am - 12:00pm

Funeral Service:  12:00pm

Interment:  Forest Park East Cemetery