Merton "Ted" Cantrell, Jr.

Major (Retired) Merton “Ted” Cantrell, Jr., 79, of Orem, Utah, graduated from this life on June 12, 2026. He was born Oct. 6, 1946, in Rock Springs, Wyoming, to Merton Ted Cantrell, Sr., and Emma Marie Forsell, the youngest of three children. Shortly after LaVell Edwards and his scout team recruited Ted to play Cougar football, “Wyomin’,” as he was affectionately known, decided to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His call to serve took him to Finland. Two-and-a-half years later, he returned to BYU and entered the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, or ROTC. He married Heather Brenda Montjoie, from South Africa, on Sept. 3, 1971, in the Salt Lake Temple. Almost one year later, on Aug. 26, 1972, he was commissioned into the U.S. Army.

Military Service and Career

During his decorated two decades of military service, Ted proudly and consistently went above and beyond. One of his first unique calls of duty was, given his language competency, to accompany three Finnish generals in their tour of select U.S. military establishments, including Fort Lewis, Washington.

Ted was an Airborne Ranger and a Green Beret. Tours of duty took him not only from the U.S. coast to coast, but also to Germany, where he completed two tours. While his first was infantry-focused and included commanding Company A 1-51 in Crailsheim plus numerous successful Operation REFORGER (Return of Forces to Germany) Cold-War roles, his second was comptrollership-based. He retired from U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR) Headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany, to the greater Johannesburg area in South Africa, his wife’s homeland, in 1992.

There, Ted led a large South African consulting company until leaving to form his own firm. He traveled all over South Africa, leading change-management seminars and building entrepreneurship endeavors. After six years, he ventured himself and his family back to the United States. He continued his consulting services until transitioning into the tech sector before completely retiring in 2018.

Life and Legacy

Ted was a walking, talking BYU sports encyclopedia. In his younger years, he was an avid sportsman who loved hunting, fishing, and camping. He was an expert sharpshooter — yet another skill setting him apart during his military days. He wrangled and ranch-handed. As his flattened fingers evidenced, He worked hard on oil rigs, earning enough to cover at least a semester’s worth of college expenses in a two-week holiday break. Later in life, he sewed sleeping bags and down vests for his children, whom he taught to ski at the base of the Alps. He avoided elephant stampedes and lion eating frenzies in Africa. He was in Germany when the Berlin Wall fell, and he was in South Africa when citizens voted to end apartheid and elect Nelson Mandela as president. Even later in life, he went “trucking,” worked on his ever-evolving book on the Gospel, made “Ted-tong” (his version of biltong) as well as Christmas fudge and caramel, and almost single-handedly maintained the family fleet. He sang loudly, loved fiercely, lived boldly and did not fear death.

A devout member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints his entire life, Ted was an Emeritus Seventy. (He was set apart by Elder Sterling W. Sill.) Six of his eight children served honorable missions, and all eight of his children share his love of country and of the Savior. He served as a temple worker and enjoyed weekly temple attendance with his eternal companion. Ted consistently created opportunities to share his testimony of Jesus Christ, often talking about his mission, to the last.

Survivors

Ted is survived by his wife and seven of his eight children: Tania (Paco Rosas-Moreno); Tyler (Carissa); Kristin (Loren Whiting); Keanan; Kevin Cantrell (Kimberly); Kimberly; Tyson (Kate); and 12 grandchildren. He was welcomed on the other side by his eldest son, Travis.

Services and Honors

A celebration of life will be held Thursday, June 18, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. in the Park 3rd Ward LDS Chapel located at 195 West 300 South, Orem, Utah. Burial with full military honors will be at 11:00 a.m. at the Utah Veterans Cemetery and Memorial Park located at 17111 South Camp Williams Rd (1700 West), Bluffdale, Utah.

For those unable to attend the services in person, you may view the Livestream HERE

Condolences may be expressed to the family on this page.