Autopsy: Famed Chef Homaro Cantu Committed Suicide

UPDATE: 4:28 p.m. April 15, 2015

(STMW) -- Famed Chef Homaro Cantu was found dead Tuesday on the Northwest Side and an autopsy Wednesday ruled his death a suicide.

"I loved him dearly. It's really terrible to see him go in this way. I'm going to miss him a lot," said Trevor Rose-Hamblin, Cantu's friend and business partner.

Cantu was found dead at 4419 W. Montrose Ave. at 1:27 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. An autopsy Wednesday ruled he committed suicide by hanging.

Rose-Hamblin said Cantu had planned to open a brewery in the building where he was found.

Cantu spent four years as a chef at Charlie Trotter's famed Lincoln Park restaurant before opening the critically acclaimed Moto, which focused on inventive molecular gastronomy cuisine.

An emotional Cantu joined fellow famous chef alumni at Trotter's memorial in 2013, including Graham Elliot, David LeFevre and Giuseppe Tentori.

And later, Cantu and other Trotter chef alums created the Trotter Project, a three-year capital campaign with dozens of former Trotter employees and family members.

Cantu served as president of the project aimed at mentoring high school and college students, and teaching young children how to cook. It also served to keep Trotter's restaurant in his ownership as a flagship for the project.

As word of Cantu's death spread Tuesday, many of his famous friends took to Twitter to express their condolences.

"Please everyone, send your thoughts/prayers to the family & loved ones of chef Homaro Cantu. A great friend, a horrible loss; speechless," Graham Elliot tweeted.

"The whole city — It's not going to be the same place without him," said Rose-Hamblin.

Services will be held Friday at St. Viator Parish, 4140 W. Addison, Rose-Hamblin said. Visitation will start at 11 a.m. and the funeral will follow at 1 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be mailed to:

Cantu Children's Trust
1555 Sherman Ave.
Box 177
Evanston, IL 60201

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2015. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)