Candace Allen Riley

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Candace “Candy” Stier Riley, our loving and ever-devoted wife, mother, and friend to all whose lives she touched, on May 23, 2020.She left us while sleeping, peacefully, next to the love of her life, John, and her dog Ranger, at their residence in Bel Air, Maryland. Born in Baltimore, MD, on February 24, 1954, to her father, Joseph Michael Stier and mother, Lois Preston Stier (both predeceased). She graduated from Bel Air High School and Harford Community College (HCC) with honors and was a member of the Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society. She was also proud of her continued ability of shorthand where she placed at the top of her class at (HCC). On October 31, 1980 she met her “soulmate” and ever-devoted loving husband, John W. Riley, and married him in Elkton, Maryland, on September 16, 1983.

Candace was the beloved and exceedingly proud mother of her surviving sons Joseph W. Riley (Amanda Wilkinson) and Nicholas A. Riley (Robyn Renzulli). She is also survived by her loving sister, Cecelia Hanauer and nephew David Hanauer, and loving cousins, Bill Kissinger (Debbie Kissinger and family) and Lois Kelly (Bill Kelly and family).
Candace lived a full life as a wonderful mother and homemaker, who also volunteered at Prospect Mill Elementary in Bel Air, while her sons were attending school there. If she ever needed a laugh, you could find her watching Abbott & Costello movies and "I Love Lucy" or spending time with her children.

Candace was an extremely detail oriented person with everything she did, whether that be taking a college course, helping her children with their homework, or baking a pie. She had a great love for the outdoors and felt as one with both plants and animals, especially wolves. She felt complete and at peace with nature. She loved to cook, bake, kept an immaculate home, gardening, making floral arrangements, fishing, playing tennis, exercising, and being in the great outdoors (to include hiking and walking in the woods and fields, and strolling on the beach with the ocean lapping at her feet), singing in the Church Choir at St. John's Episcopal Church in Kingsville, Maryland, and last but not least spending time with and walking her dog Ranger.

The things that were most important to her, above all else, was caring and showing love for her family and spending as much time with them as she could. She instilled values in her boys that have served them well and will continue to do so into the future. She will be dearly missed, and her memory will forever be in all of our hearts and minds.

A Celebration of Candace's life will be hosted by her family on October 10, 2020, at 11 am at the St. John's Episcopal Church, 11901 Belair Rd., Kingsville, MD 21087.