Candes May Parker Chumney

“Well-behaved women seldom make history.” Candes Chumney didn’t play by the rules—and thank goodness for that. After a lifetime of misbehaving and having an indelible impact on everyone who knew her, Candes passed away on August 12, 2025.

Fiercely independent, gloriously boisterous, and famously direct, Candes filled every space she entered. Her laughter was unmistakable, her voice like southern honey, and her opinions as unfiltered as they were unforgettable. She loved her family, the opera, hibiscus flowers, and dedicating herself to causes she believed in— often with the same unstoppable energy that made her a force in every room.

For 54 years, she shared her life with her beloved husband Patrick Swearingen Chumney, a man who quickly learned that the best way to keep up with Candes was to enjoy the ride. Her three children—Victoria Chumney, William (Niles) Chumney and Roxana Chumney Rose—each inherited a spark of her wit, her determination, and her ability to make life anything but ordinary.

Her lifetime of service with the Junior League of San Antonio, founded by her grandmother, was the cornerstone of her many achievements. Among her numerous activities with JLSA, she spearheaded the creation of the Funding Information Library, now part of the San Antonio Area Foundation, and a resource mirrored by Junior Leagues across the country. When asked to become its first executive director, Pat famously remarked, “You’re already working 40+ hours a week—why not get paid for it?” She took the job and ran with it.

She was inducted into the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame in 1984 for her Public Service and was recognized as JLSA Volunteer Extraordinaire in 1988.

A lifelong native of San Antonio, Candes attended Saint Mary’s Hall and Mary Washington University and was a member of the Junior League of San Antonio, The Assembly and The Argyle. Whether planning a fundraiser, rallying volunteers, or commanding a dinner table, she brought wit, warmth, and gusto to every interaction.

She is survived by her children, Victoria and wife Helen Holdsworth, Niles and partner Lisa Owens, and Roxana and husband Jeff Rose; her grandchildren, Maxwell Westheimer and fiancé Brooks Hardcastle, Preston Westheimer and fiancé Emily Grayam, and Ana Lucia Winifred (Lulu) Chumney; her sister, Page Webb; her sister-in-law, Betty Chumney; and countless cousins, nieces, and nephews who all knew they could count on her for both loving encouragement and a good-natured push. Also, special to Candes were Gabby Haff, Chris Haff and Cisco Rosado.

She is preceded in death by her beloved Pat, her parents Page and Maxwell Parker, brothers Maxwell Parker and Scott Parker and her brothers-in-law Lyman Webb, and William Thomas Chumney, Jr.

The family would like to thank Miranda Rankin, Claudia Avila, Karen Kosub, Shelley Bunce and the staff at the Forum at Lincoln Heights for their kind and graceful care of Candes. The family would, also, like to thank Patti Zapata and the staff at Gentiva Hospice. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the San Antonio Area Foundation or the Junior League of San Antonio.

A celebration of her life will be held Wednesday, August 20, 2025, at 11a.m. at Porter Loring, 1101 McCullough Avenue.