Candace A. Hoff

A much-loved wife, mother, sister, aunt, and grandmother Candace “Candy” Ann Hoff passed away March 12th 2025 at the age of 78. She is survived by her husband, Gary, sons Philip and Benjamin, brother John, sister Jacquie, granddaughters Suzannah, Erin, Gabriela, and cat Cali. Candy was born in Madison, Wisconsin on October 2, 1946 (same day has her brother’s birthday in 1944) daughter of Evelyn and John Reynolds. As a baby and early toddler, she lived on Johnson Street in Madison before her family moved to Evansville, Wisconsin in 1948 to be closer to her grandparents, Leo and Mini Straus. For the first few years in Evansville, Candy lived with her family on an urban farm on the edge of Evansville where the family raised a lot of their own food with a huge vegetable and fruit garden, apple orchard with beef cattle, rabbits, and chickens. She especially enjoyed things like catching fireflies in the evening and riding the Shetland ponies that the family cared for in the winter while the owners went south to escape the Wisconsin winter.

After her grandparents retired and moved to Madison, Candy and her family took up residence in a home within walking distance of her school. One of the things she enjoyed most while growing up in Evansville were the annual summer visits to the homes of her cousins in Appleton, WI and Skokie, IL. She also developed a love for cats and enjoyed living with those that the family adopted during her school years. She became very interested in learning about and practicing her Christian beliefs. She regularly attendance services and activities associated with the family Protestant church. Candy moved again at the age of 15 to Menasha Wisconsin where she completed her last two years of High School.

In 1964 Candy attended the University of Wisconsin meeting her husband to be, Gary, in Madison in 1966. Candy traveled to Rota Spain in the summer of 1967 where she lived with her sister and her husband. Candy and Gary were married April 13th, 1968. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Spanish major, in May 1968. Candy and Gary lived in Lisle, IL outside of Chicago a short time before moving to Kenosha where their son Philip was born February 29th, 1972. In July of 1974 Candy moved to Carlisle Pa with her young family. Candy joined First United Church of Christ in 1978 where she spent over 40 years as a Sunday School teacher. October 28th, 1978 their son Benjamin was born. In 1993 Candy earned a Masters in Arts and Religion from Lancaster Theological Seminary. Candy worked part time as a special education assistant at various area schools over several years in the late nineties and early 2000s. In 2020, having recently fought health crises including Cancer, Shingles and debilitating Dementia, Candy and Gary moved in with son Benjamin to live in Enola PA where he assisted her until the time of her passing.

Many lives were touched by Candy’s very active volunteering and political activism throughout her life. She attended marches and spoke at events in support of issues such as a Nuclear Freeze. She worked with prison Chaplains ministering to inmates as well as assisting with immigrant resettlements. Candy loved spending time with her family and friends as well as the cats she lived with throughout her life. She loved chocolate, ice cream, Disney movies, exciting roller coasters, crafts, and collections. Candy retained her childlike perspective and playfulness spending time with children and playing with her granddaughters. Candy passed away peacefully at home with loved ones.