Jack Cantin, 17, of Montecito, has been missing since the Montecito mudslides and is presumed dead. His mother, Kimberly, and his sister, Lauren, were injured, and his father, David, 49, and his dog, Chester the Irish Setter, were killed.
Jack was born in Oceanside, California, and spent his first four years in Carlsbad. He lived just a few streets away from his grandparents and enjoyed each Friday at Grandma and Grandpa’s, exploring neighborhood parks and playgrounds. He then moved with his family to Mason, Ohio, spending his next five years in the Midwest, running in open yards of grass and sledding down the hill near the back of his house.
In 2010, Jack and his family relocated to Santa Barbara, where he became a “California kid” again. He attended Montecito Union School (MUS) and had happy times with his new friends, at the carnivals, and in the 6th-grade production of Willy Wonka. His teachers said he brought his warm smile and wide, open-mouthed laughter to the classroom; Jack was kind and loved to make people laugh.