Benefit for Johnny Cantu

**UPDATE**  Johnny R. Cantu passed away , March 4th,2022 at his home in Dallas, TX.  Funeral arrangements for Johnny Cantu are as followed: 

Monday, March 28th 2022 
11:00AM 
St Catherine of Siena Catholic Church 
1705 E Peters Colony Rd. 
Carrolton, Texas  75007

Obituary to be posted on Merit Memorial of North Texas Website soon. 





We are hosting a benefit skeet shoot on Friday, March 18th, at Greater Houston Sports Club in honor of Johnny Cantu. For those unable to attend but would like to contribute to the effort, we have created this GoFundMe page.

 

Johnny Cantu is the current Editor-in-Chief of Shotgun Sports Magazine and has been instrumental in the world of skeet. From an early age, Johnny loved anything that would shoot — slingshots, BB guns, BIC pen barrels, pellet guns, .22s, revolvers, shotguns, big–bore rifles and bows and arrows.

 

During the late 1970s, ’80s and early ’90s, Johnny traveled the national skeet shooting circuit, much of that time as a shooting representative for Briley Mfg. He learned a lot about shotguns and related subjects from Briley’s founder, Jess Briley, and famed shooting editor Bob Brister, NSSA Hall–of–Famer Grant Ilseng and others in the shooting community. The highlight of his skeet shooting career was one of only three shooters who earned multiple trips to the winners’ podium at the 1986 NSSA World Skeet Championships, where he won both a Silver in the 20–Gauge Championships (behind the legendary Wayne Mayes) and a Bronze in the first half of the 12–Gauge Event (the “East”).

 

In 1991, Dan Reeves asked Johnny to become a member of Team U.S.A. and travel to France to compete against French professional shooters in their game, Ball Trap. After four days of competition, the members of Team U.S.A. came away victorious and Johnny was named Most Valuable Shooter.

 

Johnny was Senior Technical Advisor for Beretta USA in Accokeek, Maryland, for 5½ years, then served as Firearms Sales Manager at the original Beretta Galley in Alexandria, Virginia, for another 1½ years before moving to the Beretta Gallery in Dallas, Texas, as Firearms Sales Manager. He joined the Shotgun Sports staff as Editor–in–Chief in 2005 and has been working hard at it ever since and enjoying every moment.

 

In the most recent years, Johnny has been battling both Parkinsons and Leukemia, though his spirits are high, still cracking jokes and telling stories about his career. All funds raised will go directly to Johnny and his family to help cover medical and any other expenses that may occur in the coming weeks.

 

Thank you for your generosity!