Mary Stewart Cantrell

Mary Stewart Cantrell Surrounded by her loving family, Mary Cantrell, 71, of St. Petersburg and Bradenton, passed away July 12, 2015, ending her courageous battle with cancer. Born in Beaumont, Texas November 18, 1943, Mary spent much of her childhood in a Texas orphanage where she forged her independent spirit and quiet competitive spirit. With a passion for teaching and the sure knowledge that education changes lives, Mary earned a Bachelor's Degree in Education from North Texas University, a Master's Degree in Administration & Supervision, and a Ph.D. in Vocational Curriculum from the University of South Florida. A consummate educator, Mary's professional career in public education spanned almost 50 years. She was the recipient of several regional and state awards but they were just one small facet of her life. Like the main character in a fictional film, Mary's life was "like a box of chocolates," impacting the lives of literally thousands of people. She exhibited the traits of integrity, loyalty, perseverance, honesty and humility. Although the spotlight was often on Mary, she had an uncanny knack of showcasing the qualities of others instead of her own. She never shied away from a good challenge, running two back-to-back New York City marathons in the early 90s. Above all, Mary loved her family. Shortly before her death, Mary shared "All I wanted in my life was a family and they are God's gift to me." Although she struggled as a single mother, Mary's life completely changed the moment she met Louis Cantrell, the love of her life. Their blended family was everything she always wanted. Beaming with pride, Mary described each of her children as awesome people who have made their own mark in the world. Publicly, Mary will be most remembered as the director of Manatee Technical Institute. In her 18-years as its director, the program evolved from a small vocational school to a state-of-the-art campus offering over 50 career prep programs taught by local industrial leaders. Recently renamed Manatee Technical College, Mary's brainchild has attracted several industries to relocate to the area, creating significant economic growth to the region. In November 2014, Mary was elected to the School Board of Manatee County where her professional expertise and leadership style became the impetus for positive change throughout the district. Mary is survived by her husband of 45 years, Louis; sons Louis Jr. (Stacy) and Lance; Michael (Melissa), daughters Michele (Kenneth) Morgan, Ashley (Wes) Tharp; grandchildren Melissa and Matthew Morgan, Jennifer Berg, Diane Cantrell and Zain Aslam; and great-grandchildren Dominatrice Cantrell and Colton Berg. Services will be held at St. Paul's Catholic Church in St. Petersburg, Saturday July 18, at 9:30 am, followed by a Celebration of Life at 2:00 pm at Manatee Technical College on SR 70 in Bradenton. http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/bn9/2015/7/12/manatee_county_schoo.html http://www.bradenton.com/2015/07/13/5893237/manatee-county-school-board-member.html http://www.bradenton.com/2015/07/15/5895883_funeral-details-set-for-manatee.html?rh=1 http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20150712/BREAKING/150719915 http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20150703/COLUMNIST/150709889 Celebration of Life Event July 18th, 2015 2:00pm - 5:00pm Manatee Technical College 6305 State Road 70 East Bradenton, FL 34203 In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida-Hoxie Neighborhood or the Boys & Girls Clubs of Manatee County.