Thomas Eugene McCandless

Tom’s parents were Leslie McCandless and Ethel Palmer. Together they had six children: Alan, Garnet, Melvin, Marvin, Tom and Nancy. Tom was raised on a ranch in the Watsonville area and graduated from Watsonville High School.

Ranch life necessitated early rising to tend to the many farm animals and the vegetable gardens, as his family depended on their land for food. Tom tended to the farm riding horses, operating tractors, raising hogs and chickens; he was skilled in everything he did.

Tom enjoyed living in the hill country, and one of his great pastimes as a boy (and into young adulthood) was to explore these areas near his home. This is where he could be found trapping and hunting animals or fishing in a nearby river. He enjoyed hunting and fishing for many years after leaving Aromas.

After high school, Tom enlisted in the Navy where he had top-secret clearance to monitor Soviet military transmissions from his posting in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska.

After an honorable discharge, his special skills and secret clearance would be key for him securing a job with Lockheed Missiles & Space in Sunnyvale, California where he would work for the remainder of his career. Shortly after leaving the Navy, he moved to San Jose and married Dorene Filice of Gilroy, California. Together they had four children: Karen Foster (Chris), Lisa Kennedy (Lon), Scott, and Mark.

Tom later divorced and married Virginia Jean (Ginny) Palm and together they raised Christine Cox (Jimmy) and Rachel Matthews. He moved his family to Austin Texas and lived for many years as a resident of the Onion Creek neighborhood, where he could be found on the golf course with friends, family, and his favorite golf partner, Ginny.

He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Ginny, six children, and seven grandchildren: Rachel Christine, Chelsey, Kelly, Lauren, Emily, Ethan and Alyssa, and their great grandson, James. He is also survived by his sister, Nancy Perryman of Aromas, California.

Tom was a man of few words, but he demonstrated his love and commitment to his family through his actions. Running into his arms was a favorite greeting for his grandchildren, as his hugs were always ready at the right moment. He was loyal and unselfish, a committed man with many talents. He was very creative and could fix or build anything, and his children/grandchildren will most remember him for being fun-loving and giving his love unconditionally.