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In memory of

Candice "Candy" Mathews

San Jose, CA, USA

August 16, 1948 - November 17, 2020

Aug 16, 1948 - Nov 17, 2020

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Candy was one of those people that left an impression wherever she went and on whatever she did.

Candy was the eldest of four children of Zada Rae VanSlyke and George Errol Longanecker, born on August 16th, 1948 in Palo Alto, CA. Sisters, Chris and Stacy and brother Daniel (Danny). In 1967, She married Doug Mathews and had 2 children, Bradly in 1967 and Sean in 1969.

She held many varied jobs in her early 20’s while finding her direction in life. From electronics tech to snake dancer to her travels all over California selling her stained glass at art shows. She was a free spirit and a hard worker

As a single mother in the 70’s she was quite resourceful in keeping a roof over her family’s head, food on the table and all the while keeping the kids in private schools. This was the start of her journey into the field of education.

This eventually led her to become a founding faculty member at the now prestigious Delphian School, a private boarding school in Oregon. She worked there from 1978 to 1984, where she primarily worked in admissions with a short stint running the kitchen where she unleashed some of her mother’s soon to be famous recipes.

Joren, son of Dave Clark, joined brothers Brad and Sean in 1984.

After relocating back to California in 1985 she soon moved onto her next chapter in education by starting Elan Esprit Preschool. First as a home daycare and eventually opening 3 locations with a combined 200+ students. It was in this role that she had the greatest impact on the world. She helped thousands of children learn to read and ride two wheeler bikes. She took her kids creek walking and rock climbing or dragged everyone down the street to McDonald’s for french fries. She put a strong emphasis on educating the parents as much as the children.

In the mid 90’s she also worked for a time at the local Delphian School in Palo Alto as a 5th grade teacher while still managing the preschool. She graduated many of her Elan Esprit students off to Delphi Academy and many of those moved on to high school at the Delphian School in Oregon.

She took up downhill mountain biking in her early 40’s when her son Brad dragged her and a 10 year old Joren out one weekend. Several times each summer they would hit Tahoe, Shasta or Mammoth and bomb down the mountain.

Over her life Candy had dozens of pets including several snakes, various lizards, an iguana, cats, dogs and frogs. She shared a special love for birds with her son Joren, both raising a succession of Cockatiels, a Cockatoo and a Rainbow Lorikeet.

She loved camping and took Brad and Sean camping all over California in the 1970’s. This extended to her preschool where she would regularly take groups of 4 and 5 year olds overnight camping at Sanborn park or her secret location near the monarch butterflies.

Her first grandchild, Erin was born to Sean and his wife Maria in 1991. They reside near Portland, OR. Her second, Tristan was born to Brad and his wife, Laurie in 2008.

In 2008 she started to pass her Executive Director hat and mentor her daughter in law, Laurie Mathews who took over fully running the preschool by 2016. She passed her technical knowledge to her longtime employee and friend, Elizabeth Padilla.

For the past 11 years she lived in the inlaw apartment she helped design on the same property as her sons Brad and Joren. Despite her declining health, she maintained her upbeat spirit and humor until the end. She was always a voracious reader, but being largely stuck at home she found adventure in Audiobooks. Forming a book club with her son Joren, they read 762 books. She persevered long enough to watch her grandson grow up and attend Elan Esprit, Delphi Academy and eventually her beloved Delphian School.

Candy passed peacefully at home surrounded by family, on November 17th 2020. She is survived by her siblings, Chris [Jim] Karpan, Danny Longanecker and Stacy Peebles, her three sons, Brad [Laurie], Sean [Maria] and Joren, two grandchildren, Erin and Tristan, three step-grandchildren, Anthony Pera, Nathaneal Bauler and Austin Bauler as well as two step-great granddaughters, Lacie Niemela and Paige Melton and several nieces and nephews.

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