Adan Canto

Adan Canto: Father, Husband, Son, Brother, Singer, Actor and Friend to many, passed onto eternity early on the morning of Jan. 8, 2024, with his family by his side. 

Visitation for Adan will be held from 5-7 p.m., on Thursday, Jan. 25, at the Surf Ballroom & Museum, 460 North Shore Drive, Clear Lake.

A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 26, at the Surf Ballroom & Museum, Clear Lake. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed in care of Stephanie and their children.

To the world, Adan was best known for his work as an actor on screen with many popular films such as “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “2 Hearts,” “Bruised,” and the action film, “Agent Game,” alongside Mel Gibson. Canto also starred in several hit TV series, such as “Designated Survivor,” opposite Kiefer Sutherland; Fox’s, “The Following;” ABC’s, “Blood & Oil,” as well as a memorable turn on the Netflix hit, “Narcos.” Adan’s last role was the leading mobster on Fox’s, “The Cleaning Lady.”  Adan directed and produced two short films over the last 10 years and developed several other screenplays. He had a vision to create stories that inspired heroism and selflessness, often involving noble sacrifice for one’s community. These are virtues that Adan so effortlessly embodied in his own life. In many ways, the life that Adan led off screen was arguably far more entertaining than the stories or characters he portrayed throughout his career.

Adan was born in Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila, Mexico, to Jose Luis Narvaez and Martha Lynda Canto de Narvaez. He shared a happy childhood alongside his sister, Lyndy, and brother, Adrian, who remained two of his closest friends. Some of Adan’s sweetest memories involved drawn out family celebrations at his grandfather’s ranch in the north of Mexico. Riding goats as if they were bulls and staying up all night under the stars set the stage for a young wide-eyed optimist with a deep love for nature to engage with the world in a very unique way. Adan attended a private catholic school in Del Rio, Texas called, Sacred Heart, a beautiful place full of happy memories as Adan would often recall. Jose Luis, as he was then called, had his first musical performance in front of a large audience in his home town at the age of seven. As his teenage years settled in, political and financial difficulties overcame the border town he had grown to love, bringing with it drugs and violence. A songwriter from his earliest days, Adan found his escape writing and performing his songs on guitar for friends and community. By the age of 16, Adan had packed his bags and headed away from home to pursue a career as a singer songwriter in cities across Texas and Mexico. With only a guitar in hand and barely enough money for one month’s rent, Adan hit the road for Los Angeles at the age of 25. After a few years of struggle, Adan tried his talent in Mexico City where he quickly pivoted and began making money acting in short TV ads. He eventually made his way into some very reputable Mexican TV series and stage performances. 

Adan’s big career moment came in 2012 when he returned to LA and was offered a holding deal with Fox Studios. It wasn’t long before he landed a major role in their upcoming drama series, “The Following,” starring Kevin Bacon. 2012 was a very good year for Adan, it was also the year that he met Stephanie. Adan and Stephanie had, as they always called it, a “movie moment.” Adan walked across the street from his Brooklyn apartment to the little cafe where she was working and ordered an ‘Americano.’ It was an immediate recognition. The next day was spent walking the entire island of Manhattan talking until nearly 2 in the morning about their shared love of art, travel and philosophy. That walk continued on into the next 12 years….over a decade of non-stop talking and creating art together. The Cantos married and established their home in Los Angeles when they weren’t traveling for various projects. Adan was one of the blessed few to have truly loved what he did for a living; however, nothing he did within his career would even come close to the joy he experienced by becoming a father. His children absolutely adored him. They knew that whenever they were in the room, nothing was more important to their “Papa.” Not long after becoming a father, Adan moved his family to his beloved Clear Lake, Iowa to be close to his wife’s family. The richness of this new extended family relationship was for Adan one of his greatest blessings in life. 

Clear Lake was a place where Adan had found immense peace, a needed respite after many years of living alone in large cities. In Adan’s opinion, there was no better place on earth to raise a family. Adan had an ability to make every person who interacted with him, even a brief interaction, want to become better. He carried always a joyful expectancy for good in all things which made him unstoppable. Even in the face of unthinkable pain and suffering, Adan never once complained during his nearly four-year struggle with cancer and truly had hope until the very end. Adan exuded a joyful zest for life that was fueled by an optimism unmatched by many. A passionate foodie, lover of Italy, chess, motorcycles, watches and just about anything that was crafted with heart and soul, he was often called a true “Renaissance Man.” In his wife’s words: Adan was a “cowboy at heart, a poet by nature.” Because Adan was such a passionate learner, he lived with the belief that there is something to be learned from every single person you encounter, if you humble yourself enough for the opportunity. 

Adan saw the world as a great big adventure and lived his life in such a way. “Life is long, if you know how to use it,” as he would often say. Aside from Adan’s love of music, and perhaps something which fueled his love of art in general, was his passion for wisdom. One of Adan’s favorite quotes, scribed in many of his journals was: “No one can lead a happy life, or even one that is bearable, without the pursuit of wisdom.” Adan lived this better than most. His endless pursuit of wisdom brought him to an unshakable love for God that carried him through every moment of his final days. Even more than the songs and the stories that Adan has left behind; it was his ability to make everyone around him want to become the best version of themselves that will continue to live on.

Adan is survived by his wife, creative partner and best friend, Stephanie Ann Canto, and their two greatest works of art, Roman Alder (3 1/2) and Eve Josephine (22 months).

Ward Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, Clear Lake, is in charge of arrangements.