Edward A. Kantor M.D.

1929 - 2020

February 14, 1929 - September 16, 2020 Our Dr. Ed was born on Valentine's Day in Cleveland, Ohio. He was the only son of parents, Edythe Weinberg and Cantor Abraham Kantor. Dr. Ed always knew he wanted to be a doctor. He would wear his pajamas backward to elementary school to look like a doctor. Dr. Ed worked since the time he was 15 years old, first as a street cleaner and next as a construction worker. Dr. Ed received his M.D. at the University of Nebraska in 1954. At the time of his admittance, the university only accepted 6 Jewish students into the medical school. Dr. Ed was one of them. After medical school, Dr. Ed had a one-year internship at the Wadsworth VA Hospital at UCLA. It was there he decided to become an ear, nose and throat specialist. At the time, head and neck tumors were an exciting new field. Following his internship, Dr. Ed had his first year of residency at UCLA and the VA until he was drafted into the US military for the Korean War. While in basic training, the government realized he was a doctor, and shipped him off to Iceland where he became at age 28 Chief Surgeon for NATO forces in Iceland. When Dr. Ed returned to the U.S., he went back to his practice at the VA in Westwood in an ENT residency program. It was then he met and married his late wife, Elaine Greene, with whom he had two daughters, Debra and Kathy. Dr. Ed also had two grandsons, Spencer and Aaron Kohn. Following his residency, Dr. Ed joined the practice of Dr. Henry Rubin where he built one of the most prestigious ENT practices in the country. The saddest time of Dr. Ed's life was when his daughter, Kathy, passed away from cancer in 2000. While himself a humble man, Dr. Ed became famously known as the "ENT to the Stars." Most celebrities, singers or actors who had vocal issues were treated by Dr. Ed. He was featured in People Magazine, August 1978 and was named Lear Magazine's Most Eligible Bachelor in Beverly Hills. He specialized in diseases and disorders of the ear, nose and throat as well as other parts of the head and neck including the sinuses, larynx and mouth. Areas of expertise included allergies; facial reconstructive surgery; head and neck; laryngology; otology/neurotology; pediatric otolaryngology; and rhinology. He was board certified in Otolaryngology. He was a trail blazer in endoscopic surgery and along with Karlz Storz and George Berci created and patented the Kantor-Berci video laryngoscope, still used worldwide today. Dr. Ed practiced medicine for over 50 years and stopped practicing at the top of his profession. In 2005, Dr. Ed started dating the love of his life, Harriet Hochman. Together, they checked off his bucket list and traveled all over the world, from attending classes at Oxford University to doing the samba during Carnival in Rio de Janiero. Harriet and her family were by Dr. Ed's side when he passed. Due to the restrictions of Covid, funeral services were private. A celebration of our Dr. Ed's amazing life will be held in the future so that all that loved and admired him can gather to share stories and celebrate his life so well lived.