It is with heavy but peaceful hearts that we share the news of the passing of our dad David Jon Canter. Dad, or Papa as we fondly called him, passed away March 5, 2022 at the age of 80 years old in Winnemucca, Nevada.
Dad was born July 1, 1941, in Dayton, Ohio to Carl and Janice Canter. Papa always had a love of horses and rodeo. This love took him all over the United States and across the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii where eventually his high school diploma found him.
He married his sweetheart Pat (nee Smith) September 17, 1965, and together they had three daughters Brandi, Sherri and Gail. Papa always smiled a big smile when he said he was outnumbered by females in the house. In addition, throughout their marriage he and our mom worked side by side to breed and train some impressive quarter horses.
Papa had a work ethic that could impress even the strongest man. He worked for Kaiser Cement while also being with the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office where he was a deputy tracker for the for 18 years. In December 1984, Dad and Mom moved us to Winnemucca, Nevada where roots have been planted deep. Dad worked for Sierra Pacific Power Company (Valmy) until he retired in January 2001. Dad enjoyed his retirement by exploring vast fishing opportunities on his boat and packing the horses out for a great ride in various states, always with his favorite lady by his side. Dad loved the outdoors, horses, and Mom’s peanut butter cookies and homemade bread.
When it came to his girls, he has been proud of each of us and that we strove to be our own individuals. He may not have always agreed with our choices, but as long as we maintained the values and ethics he taught us, there stood a proud dad. He told us that he wanted to make sure his girls could rely on themselves before depending on anyone else. He made sure we knew how to shoot, ride horses, take care of our vehicles, to hunt and fish and care for our bounty.
He is survived by his wife, Pat, daughters Brandi (Gabi), Sherri (Dwayne) and Gail (Bryan), grandsons Tom and Jon, his sister, Joan, and his favorite cat Pard.
