Thomas Walter Cantwell

Thomas Walter Cantwell, 86, passed away Monday, April 22, at his home in Tamarac after an extended battle with heart disease and related complications. Born September 11, 1937, in Brooklyn, NY, Tom is survived by his loving wife of 62 years, Barbara Rehman Cantwell; his daughter, Laura Loffredo; his son, Thomas R. Cantwell; his four grandchildren, Kelly Loffredo Blitman, Joseph Loffredo, Thomas E. Cantwell, and Audrey Cantwell; and his great grandson, Theodore Blitman. Upon graduation from Most Holy Trinity High School in Brooklyn, Tom enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving three years aboard the USS Hunt (DD-674), a destroyer in the Atlantic fleet. The ship spent many days at sea and crossed the Equator and the Arctic Circle during Tom’s voyages. Upon his honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy, Tom joined the F.D.N.Y., serving in busy firehouses in Brooklyn and the Bronx. After sustaining serious injuries while fighting a fire, Tom retired from the F.D.N.Y., and the Cantwell family moved to South Florida in 1973. Tom spent the rest of his career working with the Broward County Aviation Department until he retired in January 2000. Tom spent the final chapter of his life enjoying his family and his one and only hobby, fresh and saltwater fishing.