Larry Myrl Cantrell

Larry Myrl Cantrell, 78, of Bentonville, AR, died on September 26, 2025. He was born on July 10, 1947, to Myrl and Esther (DeGraff) Cantrell in Joplin, MO. He was raised in the Smithfield Community west of Carl Junction. He graduated from Carl Junction High School in 1965, where he played on the baseball team and played trumpet. He attended Missouri Southern State College, graduating in 1971 with a Bachelor's Degree in Business and Marketing. During this time, he also coached little league baseball. While attending MSSC, he met Janice Scheibling, whom he married in 1969. They settled in Joplin, where they had two children, Matthew and Meredith. Cantrell worked as a salesman in the lumber and building materials industry, including at Georgia Pacific. He retired in 2014 and moved to Bentonville, AR to be closer to family. He worked hard his entire life and was dedicated to providing for his family. He was a loving husband and father. He loved sports and was a lifelong fan of the Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals, and Nascar. He also liked to watch old movies, westerns and cartoons. He was a fan of music, especially classic country. Not many people knew that he had a lovely singing voice, but could never remember the lyrics to any songs. He did have a gift for remembering people's names and was often able to strike up conversations with complete strangers. He had a great sense of humor and laughed more at commercials than anyone his family has known. Cantrell is survived by his wife, Janice of Bentonville, AR; son, Matthew (Erin) of Bentonville, AR; daughter, Meredith of Lee's Summit, MO; and brother, Darrell. He was preceded in death by his parents, Myrl Albert and Esther Ursula Cantrell and brother, Sherrill Cantrell. A private burial will take place at Pinnacle Memorial Gardens in Rogers, AR. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (memorial fund link: https://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR?px=9003074&fr_id=154020&pg=personal).