Pensacola Texan sails off into the sunset.

Stephen Andrew Cancellare lost his battle with COVID on Friday, November 12, 2021.

Born in Boston in 1950 to Anthony and Gloria Cancellare, he was the sixth of twelve children. Growing up an Army Brat meant moving regularly, until settling in El Paso, Texas where he graduated from Cathedral High School. He attended Queen of Apostles Seminary in Dedham, MA where he met the love of his life, Mary. They were married in Mission Hill, MA in 1973 shortly after he joined the US Coast Guard. In his twenty-nine year career, they had five children across assignments spanning from a lighthouse in Maine to the beaches of Cuba and Puerto Rico including the heart of New York City and the shores of Maryland. He was a devoted father to his children, Anne Marie DeMatteo (Matthew), Michael (Nichole), Elizabeth Ferrer (Javier), Matthew (Nicole) and Gloria "Katie" Renfrow (Reed).

After the Coast Guard, they settled in Pensacola, FL where they had previously spent six wonderful years. He worked as a railroad conductor for CSX and also at the Navy Hospital. Finally, he retired and was able to enjoy spending more time with his love, Mary, and playing an active role in the lives of their thirteen grandchildren.

An engaged Grandpa and a kid at heart, he loved to play, whether it was slap-jack, body surfing, catching lizards, building forts, or playing hide and seek. His infectious enthusiasm is legendary. He celebrated his family and many friends by writing them poems on special occasions. He was a devout Catholic who sang his heart out as a member of St. Paul Catholic Church. He was a Lay Dominican, active with the Knights of Columbus, and an ACTS Retreat team member. He was welcomed into heaven by his father, mother, and siblings Willie, John, Toni and Leo.

Visitation will be held from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm with a Rosary beginning at 3:00 pm on Sunday, November 21, 2021 at Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Paul Catholic Church on Monday, November 22, 2021 at 11:30 am. Burial will follow at Barrancas National Cemetery at 2:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the St. Vincent de Paul Society and Catholic Charities of Northwest Florida.

He had a generous heart and would want to thank you all profusely. He spent his life preparing for a death that would lead to life everlasting. Semper Paratus.