Walter Daniel Cantarow – 50th Reunion Essay

Walter Daniel Cantarow

Date of Death: 30-Apr-1999

College: Saybrook

(This memorial appeared in the February 2000 Class Notes. It was submitted by his father. The spelling of Walt’s last name has been corrected.)

Walter David Cantarow of Norwood, Massachusetts, died in an accident on April 30, 1999, in Providence, Rhode Island. He was 52. He received his BS from Yale in ’69 and his PhD from Tufts University in biochemistry and pharmacology. He did postdoctoral research in immunology at the University of Wisconsin. He held two patents and was involved in the research that led to the development of an early pregnancy at-home test. He was also involved in pioneering work for a company that makes a skin patch for burn victims. Walter was a consummate family man, community activist, and caring individual. His work and life touched many lives. He was a Town Meeting member, active in the Norwood Nuggets hockey program, and helped organize a number of community activities. His laughter, his sense of humor, knowledge, and warmth were a fixture in the lives of many people. He is survived by his wife Mary (O’Neill) Cantarow and three children: Joshua, Jeremy, and Madelyn. He is also survived by his parents, Freida and Peter (Yale ’27) Cantarow. Walt was a good man, a good citizen, and a good son.

From Geoff Anderson: Walt Cantarow and I were roommates for three years. We shared a triple with Jim Steffenburg during our sophomore year, and Dick Musgrave ’68, our junior year. In senior year we retained our room as a double. Walter and I got along very well. We both had sardonic senses of humor and made dark jokes about many things. Walt was an amateur photographer and had a nice Leica camera which he used to submit photos here and there. His main photographic outlet was taking photos for the Yale Banner. He was not musical, but he liked Broadway musicals and we usually allowed ourselves to listen to one record after dinner before going off to study. We took the train together to New York City and back to see Mary Martin and Robert Preston in the musical I Do! I Do!. He was the only, I think, undergraduate biochemistry major and most of his classes were in the Med School. He wanted to do medical research, pursuing with others a cure for cancer. He went to University of Wisconsin after med school to continue research. I believe it was there that he met his violent death in a parking lot.

He schooled me in Jewish traditions and I attended my first Seder at his parents’ house in West Hartford, Connecticut. His parents were delightful people, not surprisingly. He was not a musician, but I believe he took some pleasure and pride from my singing group experiences at Yale including, of course, the Whiffenpoofs of 1969. It was my great pleasure having him as a roommate.