Candace Langan Langford

Candace Langan Langford passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of November 2, 2026, following an eight year battle with pancreatic cancer. Candy radiated grace and kindness; she was a thoughtful, artistic, loving and strong woman, and the best friend anyone one could ever have.

Born Candace Banks Register in 1955, in Rumson, New Jersey, the daughter of Alfred L. and Anne M. Register, she grew up on the shore, on and in the water sailing small boats. Candy studied fashion design at Bennett College, and while working in New York City met and married Michael William “Bill” Langan. He was a sailor designing award-winning yachts for Sparkman & Stephens, for which Candy designed beautiful interiors. They lived in Weston, Connecticut, in a wonderful house full of their two children, Tom and Annie, lots of friends and two labs, Maui and Nala. In the late 1990’s Bill started his own firm, Langan Design, in Newport, Rhode Island, and the family moved to Jamestown, across the bridge. It was a busy life, as Tom finished high school, Annie danced ballet, and Bill sailed all over the world. But then tragically Bill died of leukemia in 2010 after thirty years of marriage, turning things upside down for Candy, leaving her to juggle her work, family, and later her horse, Dustin.

A few years later she was introduced to G. Lawrence “Larry” Langford, who had lost his wife of forty years to breast cancer. Time passed and they were married in Newport in 2018, in a joyous celebration for both families and all their friends. But barely six weeks after their wedding Candy received a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Deemed inoperable, after strong chemotherapy her doctors at Dana Farber arranged for her to go to New York City, to a doctor who was experimenting with a new form of radiation therapy. Fortunately five weeks of daily treatments were successful, and returning home in the spring of 2019, Candy and Larry pledged to squeeze joy out of every day thereafter.

Fulfilling their pledge, they returned to the water on a new boat, got a new puppy, visited family and friends, went cruising and sailing, played pickleball and enjoyed fly fishing and their new life at their home in the hills of Western Massachusetts, where Candy became passionate about plein air painting. But then in the summer of 2025 her cancer returned, marking the start of the final leg of her journey. Her treatment goal was to hang on long enough to be able to receive the latest advance in pancreatic cancer treatment, and although that goal was reached, unfortunately it was not in time to achieve its full positive effect.

Candy was predeceased by her brother, Croft Register, and is survived by her husband, Larry; her two children, Tom (Abby) and Annie; Larry’s three children, Margaret (Jay), Lydia, and George (Maya); her grandchildren, Hugo, Graham and Asha; her brother, Fred (Connie); her many nieces and nephews, and her dearest childhood friends who have remained close to her heart for all these years.

A celebration of Candy’s life is being planned. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Lustgarten Foundation and/or the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.