Candace Davey

Candace J. Davey passed away at her New Orleans home on April 24, 2025, at the age of 73. She was born at Charity Hospital on August 24, 1951. After receiving her Bachelor’s degree from Louisiana Tech, she enjoyed a long career as a set designer and artist.

Candace, known as Candy, was a brilliant and trailblazing visual artist whose public art designs and installations, retail visual merchandising, and holiday decor both public and private added her creative and caring touch to so many facets of her beloved city.

A graduate of the Theatre Arts program at Louisiana Tech, Candy's talent and experience in theatrical set design served her well as her company, Candy Designs, grew. She created Al Copeland's legendary, kinetic Christmas light extravaganza at his Lakefront home, which started a metro-wide trend for ambitious holiday home displays. Candy was called on to design and create many of them, from homes on St. Charles Avenue to iconic Jackson Square itself. She was involved with the new developments along the Riverfront, as well as numerous advertising agencies and corporate entities who called on her to bring their strategic visions to life.

As an artist keenly aware of the priceless gift of sight, for ten years Candy created the sets and decor for The Visionary Gala, a charity fundraiser featuring Broadway entertainers for the LSU Eye Center/Dept. of Ophthalmology, which raised money for research to prevent blindness.

In recent years, Candy began painting striking canvases en plain air. Her beautiful vision continues to shine through in landscapes of City Park and other favorite scenes throughout New Orleans.

She was a member of the Tall Club and St. Paul Lutheran Church in the Marigny.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Jack and Gloria Ritter Davey.

Candy is survived by her partner of eight years, Steven Sandberg; adopted daughter, Masha Davey; brother, Dr. Kent Ritter Davey (Lana); nephew, Zachary; niece, Adrian; and many other relatives and friends.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Lutheran Service at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd in New Orleans, on Monday, May 5, 2025. Visitation will begin at 12 PM with a chapel service to follow at 2 PM. Candace will be laid to rest in Metairie Cemetery immediately following the service.