OBITUARY: Richard P. Cantrell
Richard P. Cantrell, of Bowling Green, Ky., passed away on Feb. 18, 2015.
Mr. Cantrell was born in Hamburg on Nov. 24, 1939. He taught Economics at WKU for 47 years. More recently, he served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Lewisburg Banking Company, where he put his near-infinite knowledge of banking and finance to practical use. In his spare time, Mr. Cantrell was an avid sports fan who enjoyed watching ball games, whether the ball was being bounced, kicked, or hit with a stick. On those rare occasions when there were no ball games to watch, he would make do with televised water polo or equestrian events. He shared his love of sports with his family, which lead to some interesting disagreements over the use of the television between himself and the female members of his household. He was also fond of movies, crossword puzzles (which he solved in ink), books, the Civil War, 1940's music, and pretty much any subject that could be the answer to a trivia question.
Most of all, though, he loved his family. Upon his death, he was joyously reunited with his wife of 44 years, Earlene; his parents, Frank and Helen; and his brother, Ronald.
He leaves behind four children: Jennifer Cantrell (Bob Lee), Edith Williams (Philip), Richard Cantrell (Linda) and Tanya Raney (Paul). He also leaves 13 grandchildren, one great-granddaughter and four nieces and nephews, and he adored all of them. He will be greatly missed by his family, his fiancee Karen, hundreds of colleagues, and literally thousands of students who benefited from his wisdom over the years.
J. C. Kirby & Son Funeral Chapels are in charge of arrangements. A memorial service is planned for 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 8, 2015, at Broadway United Methodist Church in Bowling Green. There will be a reception afterward for invited guests at the Augenstein Alumni Center on the WKU campus. In lieu of flowers, which Mr. Cantrell thought were something of a waste of money, expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to the Hospice of Southern Kentucky, Inc., or to the American Cancer Society.