Lino was born in Kansas City, MO on February 5, 1962. The son of Horacio and Yolanda Cantos he spent the majority of his childhood in Ecuador attending school and playing sports. After finishing high school, Lino moved to the United States to attend Cal State Northridge and eventually transferred to ITT Tech to earn his degree in computer engineering. In California, he met his future wife Martha. Martha says that Lino, did not ask her to marry him, but before traveling to Ecuador together, Lino said she couldn’t go with him unless they were married or she would never see him again. They were married on April 18, 1989, only 18 days after they first met.
Eight months later, in December of 1989, Lino lost his eyesight due to Type 1 diabetes. Although life changed for him and those around him forever, he persevered to become the man we all came to know and love. Lino’s blindness did not define him. It only enabled him to experience the world differently than most. Through blindness, he and Martha raised three boys, Lino, Paolo, and Stefano. He attended every single sporting, celebratory, and disciplinary event while continuing his education in various fields. He was truly the most incredible dad a child can ask for.
Lino is survived by his three sons, Lino, Paolo, and Stefano; the mother of his children, Martha; his parents, Horacio and Yolanda; his sisters Natasha and Paola; and the rest of the lives he touched during his 58 years of living.
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