Candyce "Candy" Field

IN LOVING MEMORY

Candyce “Candy” Field

1947 – 2021

Candyce “Candy” Field passed away peacefully at home in Highlands, North Carolina on May 23, 2021, after a 4-1/2 year struggle with cancer. She was 74. She will be dearly missed by her husband, Paul, and her many friends for her sensitive intelligence, her gentle, loving spirit and her irrepressible sense of humor.

Born Candyce Barbara Nadon in Chicago, Illinois on April 22,1947, Candy was the first child of John Francis ("Jack") and Laverne Carstens Nadon.  Her father, an industrial engineer, was a graduate of the University of Wisconsin and a veteran of World War II in the Pacific. Her mother was a photographer’s model known for her hand modeling.

As a young girl, Candy’s family moved to Rochester, Michigan, a small town in the rolling hill country north of Detroit. There Candy became interested in horses and horseback riding, which were the first love of her life. As a young woman, she traveled widely in the Michigan area, competing in horse shows in the hunter, jumper and equitation classes, riding her registered thoroughbred, Sam, whose performance name, “PR Man,” reflected the fact that he “came alive” in front of a crowd. Her competitive appearances with Sam included trials for the 1964 U.S. Olympic Equestrian team.

Candy’s family subsequently moved to Short Hills, New Jersey, where she reluctantly had to put aside her love of horses. She graduated from Milburn High School in 1965 and then attended Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart in Purchase, New York. At Manhattanville, she studied English literature, French and art history and graduated with a BA degree in 1969. After graduation, she spent a year in Grenoble, France, living with a French family while studying art history at the University of Grenoble (Université Grenoble Alpes).

Upon returning to the United States, Candy began working as the personal assistant to the General Manager of The Plaza Hotel in Manhattan. She then accepted a position as a financial analyst for Dun & Bradstreet.

In June 1971, Candy met the second love of her life, her husband Paul, at a wedding where one of her classmates from Manhattanville College married one of Paul’s classmates from Yale. A long distance romance ensued, and the couple began dating in earnest when Candy was transferred to the Dun & Bradstreet office in Oakland, California while Paul was working in San Francisco. The couple was married in San Francisco on October 22, 1977. 

In 1975, Candy was recruited as a financial analyst to join Itel Corporation, a young and fast-growing equipment leasing company headquartered in San Francisco, where she remained until 1982. Candy flourished at Itel and continued to stay in touch with friends from her Itel days across the years.

In 1982, Candy and Paul relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, where the couple purchased a traditional home on two wooded acres in the Buckhead area. Candy joined a closely-held leasing company, where she worked for several years and then continued as a consultant in structuring leasing transactions while remodeling and refurbishing their house and grounds. She was active as a volunteer for the Atlanta Humane Society and had many wonderful friends through her husband’s association with The Yale Club of Georgia. She was regarded fondly for her superb entertaining skills as the hostess of backyard cookouts around the pool and small, elegant dinner parties. She later worked briefly for the Art Institute of Atlanta until retiring to spend time tending to her home, her garden and a series of beloved dogs—Spike, Lucy, Max and Walter— all of whom were rescued from the AHS.

For many years beginning in the mid-1980s, Candy and Paul vacationed regularly in Highlands, North Carolina, where they loved the cooler climate and the magnificent scenery. In 2006, they relocated to Highlands and became members of Wildcat Cliffs Country Club. Candy soon became active in a variety of Club activities, including serving on the House and Entertainment Committee, and was admired by many for her thoughtful insights and willingness to pitch in. She also became active in the Mountain Garden Club, which she enjoyed greatly and where she made many, many dear and memorable friends. “To dig, or not to dig?”—there was never any question! Candy was also a member of the Episcopal Church of the Incarnation, where she was loved and is remembered by all. In Highlands she continued to enjoy hosting small dinner parties and intimate cocktail gatherings. Her life was further enriched beyond measure by the adoption of two other rescue dogs, Buddy, and most recently, Watson.

Candy is survived by her loving husband, Paul C. Field; brothers-in-law John M. (Barbara) Field of Bedford, Texas and James E. “Jim” (Lindsay) Field of Rowley, Massachusetts; and sister-in-law Helen Nadon (Mrs. John F. Nadon, Jr.) of Apopka, Florida.  She was preceded in death by her parents and her younger brother, John F. Nadon, Jr.

Candy’s eternal resting place will be at the Highlands Memorial Park, where her ashes will be interred in a small private ceremony. A memorial service in her honor will be held Tuesday, June 22, 2021 at 2:30 pm at the First Presbyterian Church, Highlands, North Carolina. A brief reception will be held at 2:00 pm prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, please offer a donation in her memory to the cause that she dearly loved, the Cashiers-Highlands Humane Society, P.O Box 638, Cashiers, North Carolina 28717 (phone 828-743-5752 | chhumanesociety.org).

Bryant-Grant Funeral Home and Crematory is serving the Field family. Online condolences can be made at www.bryantgrantfuneralhome.com

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Candyce "Candy" Field, please visit our floral store.