Candace Jean Stidham

Candace Jean Stidham

"I'm a miracle"

Candace Jean Stidham passed away on March 23, 2015 at the age of 46 in Torrance, California.

She was born in Los Angeles, California on September 27, 1968 and was gifted into the family of Donald and Beulah Stidham. She was the youngest of three children.

When she was just four years old, she was diagnosed with Acute Lymphatic Leukemia. While she endured a harsh treatment of chemotherapy and radiation, she maintained a bright demeanor and joyful sense of humor. To deal with her hair loss, she wore a wig in public yet found it amusing to surprise people with the fact that it really was a wig. She would whip it off her head and giggle at their responses.

This treatment saved her life, yet also added complications. The biggest of the complications was now a heart too small to be able to pump blood properly. Her heart eventually gave out after two cardiac arrests. Her family surrounded her with love.

Candace was able to move to Germany with her parents for seven years during which time she graduated from High School on the Air Force Base in Ramstein. She attended European Nazarene College. Her handicap from the result of all the intense treatments made further education too difficult. She had to learn to accept her limitations and she discovered a love of Horses, Dogs, Birds, Disney and singing.

Her love of horses was fostered in Germany and she not only learned to ride there but also learned the art of jumping. She took every advantage to enjoy this sport. As her physical limitations became more pronounced she had to once again let go of something that was dear to her heart.

She loved her precious Newfoundland Dogs who were her "babies". She raised and trained them to enter them in competitions. She nurtured them with pride and a significant of amount of love. She was especially proud when two of her babies helped her father when he fell. He proudly tells the story of how of each dog helped him in his time of need, without any prompting by their owner.

In addition to her Newfoundland babies, she also raised a cockatiel. Her bird lived happily singing and talking all day.

Candace was an avid Disney aficionado. Her love of all things Disney was well known to those who knew her well. She always tried to maintain a annual Disney Pass making sure that she enjoyed the park on a regular basis especially New Year's Eve. Her last trip, in 2014, she scootered around the park with holiday lights on the basket and closed the park at 2am.

Candace had a beautiful voice and loved to sing praise songs. Her love of God was shown through her love for others. She had a love for sharing gifts, made with her loving hands, with her family and loved ones. She never once hinted to the world that her heart was in pain. She used her outpouring of love to crochet over 50 knit caps for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in honor of her niece, Laura Adcock, and children that are also suffering.

She is survived by her parents, Donald and Beulah, her sister Cheryl Adcock her brother-in law Roger Adcock, her brother Clifford Stidham and her sister-in law Bev Stidham. Her nieces, Laura Adcock and Brianna Stidham and her nephews, Geoffrey Adcock and Michael Stidham.

Love has a way of surprising us though unusual ways and Candace had a lot of love to share. We are all better for having had her in our lives. Her miracle is complete, even though she is now dancing in heaven, she will be missed.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital on their web site www.stjude.org

Funeral Home:
Green Hills Mortuary and Memorial Chapel
27501 S.Western Ave.
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
US 90275