Pauline Ann Cantwell (née Lenhardt) passed away unexpectedly on May 9, 2023 in her hometown of Treasure Island, FL.
Pauline and her twin sister, Darlene, were born in Kingsville, TX on April 12, 1945 and graduated from Abilene, TX’s Cooper High School in 1963. Shortly after graduation, Pauline met Ron Cantwell, a member of the Air Force who was stationed in Abilene. What started out as a friendship soon blossomed into love and the two were wed in 1964 at Dyess Air Force Base. During their 57 of years of marriage, the couple had four children – Clint Cantwell, John Cantwell, Katie Tharakan, and Stacey Van Diest.
Over the course of their marriage, the couple and their children lived in Dallas, TX; Madison, WI; Austin, TX; Kansas City, KS; Austin again; then back to Dallas. While there, she continued her education at the University of Texas at Dallas. In 1989, the family moved to Old Greenwich, CT where Ron and Pauline resided full-time until 2008 when they started splitting their time between there and a second home in Treasure Island, FL. Pauline made Treasure Island her permanent residence in 2022 after the passing of her husband.
In addition to being a loving wife and mother, Pauline was passionate about global peace and climate change. She worked extensively with Peace Action, the nation’s largest grassroots peace organization at the United Nations. She helped form the Peace Caucus there and had served as Convener of the Caucus from 1995. She also actively monitored disarmament issues at the UN. In 2007, she presented “Wild Cards in Climate Change” at the UN NGO Conference on Climate Change. From 2000-2013, she hosted the “Live Well with Cantwell” show on 1490 WGCH Greenwich. And in 2003, she was honored as a recipient of the Ruth Steinkraus-Cohen Memorial Outstanding Women of Connecticut Award.
Beyond her deeply rooted passion for various global issues, Pauline was an avid and experienced cook, a trait that she passed along to all four of her children. She was also the perfect hostess, ensuring friends, family, and even new acquaintances felt welcome while enjoying a delicious meal at an elegantly set dining room table.
She deeply enjoyed travel, whether it was visiting various family members across the country or exploring well over 30 international cities. She also had a passion for the French language dating back to a French pen pal in grade school and continuing until recent years when she and Ron were a part of a local French Club. She equally loved gardening and belonged to garden clubs in both Connecticut and Florida. But it was her family that was most important, and the pride she felt towards each of her children and grandchildren was always on display.
Pauline is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Ron Cantwell; her mother and stepfather, Frances and Gordon Hill; her father and stepmother, Orville and Dorothy Lenhardt; and her sister, Susan Hill. She is survived by her four children; sisters Darlene Higgs, Glenda Bibb, and Sandy Vickery; 11 grandchildren; a daughter-in-law, Suzanne Cantwell; and two sons-in-law, Anjan Tharakan and Michael Van Diest.
A service for Pauline will be held on June 2, 2023 at Saint Mary Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in St. Petersburg, FL at 11:00 a.m.
Donations can be made in her name to the Peace Action by visiting https://www.peaceaction.org/get-involved/donate/.
