Raymond E Cantrell

Raymond E. Cantrell Sr. the founder of Cantrell Funeral Home, one of the largest Black-owned Funeral Homes in Michigan.  Born July 19, 1920, Raymond is a native of Georgia (Douglas County) born into a family with 5 other siblings. Raymond attended and graduated from the Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta GA.  He received a scholarship to Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia to study medicine and remained there for two years. As an inquisitive and pioneering young man, he together with an older brother in 1941 took the initiative to make an exploratory visit Detroit, Michigan.

Raymond had an entrepreneurial flair and passion for serving out of a “basic need within the Detroit eastside community.” He developed opportunities to open and operate his own Barber Shop. Ray’s Barber Shop was located on East Forest Avenue and for many years he served families as their barber and confidant.

Upon completion of his Mortuary Science Degree at Wayne State University - Class of 1952, he soon established himself as a provider of compassionate yet personal funeral services. Armed with a mortician’s license Raymond freelanced intermittently working for the Diggs and Anderson Funeral Homes.

During the early 1950s Raymond had seen a need for additional choices in the funeral home industry in the Detroit eastside community. He opened his first funeral home on Montclair and Kercheval Avenue in the mid-50s. Cantrell Funeral Home relocated to substantially larger premises at 10400 Mack Avenue (its current location) on January 1st, 1964. The move to larger premises enhanced Raymond’s position as a provider of compassionate and dignified funeral services and strengthened his goal to provide families ‘a personalized funeral service while meeting their unique financial needs. 

 Raymond’s strong Christian faith has also permitted him to be an active member of the Burns Seventh-day Adventist Church in Detroit for more than 50 consecutive years.

Raymond shared the reasoning behind the Cantrell Funeral Home’s motto ‘Where beauty lives’ by stating that he and his staff seek at all times to allow the deceased to look as natural and restful as possible while providing a comprehensive professional service that will respect the guardianship and dignity of the deceased. This “beauty” is not only of the loved one remembered Raymond says, but “beauty” in the service, support and professionalism provided by the Staff at the Cantrell Funeral Home. Raymond E. Cantrell Sr., a pioneering mortician with a lifelong and continuing desire, determination and passion to serve the living!

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