Candice Joy Williams

6-8 p.m. Friday, January 23, 2026

Forest Park Westheimer Funeral Home

12800 Westheimer Rd

Houston TX 77077

Celebration of Candy's Life

11 a.m. Saturday, January 24, 2026

Tallowood Baptist Church

555 Tallowood Drive

Houston TX 77024

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Reception Following:

Tallowood Baptist Church

CANDY WILLIAMS OBITUARY

Candice Joy Cheek Williams joined her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in heaven, when she died peacefully in her sleep on November 28, 2025, at the age of 77. Candy accepted Jesus as her Savior as a young child. She was guided by her faith throughout her whole life. Her faith was her life’s compass and the foundation of all that she was, said and did throughout her life.

Candy was surrounded by the love that defined her life. She was a devoted wife, mother to Joy and Trent, daughter, sister and friend whose presence made everyone around her feel truly seen and valued.

Candy had the rare gift of making whoever she was with feel like they were the most important person in the room. She listened deeply, remembered the small details people shared, and had a way of asking just the right question or sitting in quiet companionship when that is what someone needed. Her thankful presence marked her friendships — she showed up when it mattered most.

Above all, her children, Joy and Trent, were the light of her life. She was their biggest cheerleader, celebrating every victory, big and small, and delighting in watching them become who they were meant to be. She loved each of them uniquely, creating special moments and traditions that showed them they were treasured beyond measure.

Candy’s deep Christian faith shaped everything about how she loved her family. She loved with grace and forgiveness, prayed faithfully for those she cherished, and pointed her children toward hope that transcended circumstances. Her faith gave her strength in every season and was reflected in her servant’s heart.

Those who knew Candy will remember her remarkable combination of humor and perseverance. She faced life’s difficulties with both grit and grace, finding something to laugh about even in hard moments. She lightened burdens with her wit while standing firm in what mattered most.

Candy’s legacy lives in the hearts of those she touched, the family she adored, and the love she gave so freely.

She was born on September 16, 1948, in Montgomery, AL. Candy and her parents moved to Houston when she was three years old. She called Houston home for the rest of her life except for her college years and one year in Alice TX.

In her early years she loved taking dance lessons. She attended Pershing Junior High and graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in 1967. At Robert E. Lee, Candy was the President of the Future Teachers Club, Chaplain of the Dixieliers Choir, and Junior Class Editor of the yearbook. Candy was a friend to all in high school, both boys and girls, and always had fun with her mischievous spirit. During these years she loved going to Galveston and surfing.

Candy attended the University of Texas in Austin for a year. She then returned to the University of Houston where she met Trey, her husband, for over 52 years. She was a Zeta Tau Alpha and was actively involved with the Baptist Student Union. Trey was a Sigma Chi and was also involved with the BSU. Candy then returned to conclude her college studies at the University of Texas. She obtained a degree in History and Journalism with a teaching certificate in Special Education in just three years. In Austin, she developed her journalism skills while working as a reporter for the Daily Texan. She had an inquisitive mind that helped drive and develop the stories she was assigned to write. She was fearless and tenacious in pursuing her journalism craft.

After graduation, Candy returned to Houston to embark on her special education teaching career. She taught at two private schools in Spring Branch. Her students, who were labeled “emotionally disturbed” back in the 1970s, typically came from broken homes and/or with parents with alcohol and/or drug issues. The children typically followed in their parents’ footsteps. Candy was very excited about her work and was ever ready for the challenges her students presented. Some survived; some went to prison; one was shot and killed; and a few excelled. She uniquely loved them and tried to prepare an avenue for their success despite the extreme baggage they carried.

To the surprise of most, Candy owned and rode a motorcycle. This endeavor was illustrative of her adventurous spirit.

She was also a big fan of Elvis. She and her best friend Patty Thomas always sent one another cards about Elvis and attended several of his concerts together.

At the University of Houston, Candy met Trey, the love of her life. They were married on November 3, 1973, at River Oaks Baptist Church, and honeymooned in Jamaica. They shared more than 52 amazing married years together. If their lives’ adventures, successes, and challenges were written into a book, it would be an immediate bestseller that many readers might not believe was nonfiction.

The newlyweds began life together in Alice TX. Trey was employed as an attorney with the Texas Rural Legal Aid in Alice where all of his clients had to be below the poverty level to receive his legal counsel. Candy taught special education in the small town of Mathis. Almost all of her students were Mexican American. Life in South Texas was an adjustment, an education, a wonderful adventure, and two of the happiest years of their lives.

In 1975, Candy received her dream job teaching special education in the Spring Branch Independent School District. She jumped at the chance, and she and Trey returned to Houston. Candy was assigned to be a “circuit rider” and to travel each week and teach emotionally disturbed students at three SBISD high schools: Strafford, Northbrook and Spring Woods. She loved her work and cherished her students and fellowship with SBISD teachers.

Candy enjoyed giving presents and cards. Here favorite holiday was Valentine’s Day. She loved sending Valentine’s cards. Candy always kept a cupboard full of cards to send to friends. She would organize the cards in boxes for any occasion. Usually, the card sent was chosen with a particular recipient in mind.

Candy and Trey had two amazing, wonderful children: Trent Owen Williams, born December 28, 1977, and the late Joy Elizabeth Williams, born July 26, 1982.

Candy was a “Mama Bear”. That means that she loved her children more than anything else. Her life was devoted to whatever was in their best interest. She was, therefore, a mother who displayed a strong nurturing and protective instinct toward her children just as a mama bear would do for her cubs in the wild. She was fiercely protective of her children if she thought they were being threatened or mistreated in any way. Woe to the man, woman, teacher, child or therapist who would be a threat to Trent or Joy.

God blessed the Williams’ two children with different skills, temperament, and gifts. Therefore, each had needs and paths to be traveled that were unique and very different from the other. It was Candy’s primary responsibility to identify what each child needed, to do the research to find the appropriate tools and programs to be utilized, to ascertain what options existed, and then to design individualized maps for each child to embrace simultaneously.

This was a lifelong vocation, which she embraced daily with all her heart. Her brain never stopped in her quest to provide the best for her children and family.

Trent was born with large, handsome, dark brown eyes. Within hours after he was born, Candy found herself at the very bottom of a huge, dark, black barrel of post-partem depression. It enveloped every aspect of her being. As horrible as that condition was, Candy rose to conquer it even though the black cloud of depression periodically fell upon her throughout her lifetime. There are no words to describe what it was like for Candy to battle through her depression. With hindsight, that she was able to do so made her almost superhuman. No doubt God was walking with her on this journey. Despite her depression, Candy would always create special social activities and excursions to museums of Trent’s choosing.

As part of her Mama Bear instinct, Candy noticed that by age 3 or so Trent was not talking as much as his peers and that he was not interacting with them as well as others.

Candy was a relentless researcher on behalf of her children. Somehow, she found Robbin Parish, the premier pediatric speech pathologist in Houston. She immediately enrolled Trent with Robbin for speech therapy. Trent’s communication skills skyrocketed.

Soon thereafter, with Candy’s urgent encouragement, Robbin vowed to open a school for children with expressive language disorders. In 1983, The Parish School was established to empower children who have communication delays and learning differences, to thrive through whole-child education, innovative therapy and access to nature. Candy and Trey served on the first Board of Directors of The Parish School. Trent was in the first graduating class of The Parish School.

A mom’s encouragement and drive resulted in the creation of a school that has been in existence now for over 42 years and has served thousands of children who would have been left behind in a traditional school setting but are now productive members of our community. It is amazing what a Mama Bear can do.

Candy next sensed Trent needed additional learning in smaller classrooms. Through her research and networking, she located a program at the University of St. Thomas. Trent was promptly enrolled for the next school year.

Before his University of St. Thomas school year was over, Candy was again researching and analyzing which school would be best for Trent. She chose Wilchester Elementary in the SBISD where Trent flourished with the focus on the math and science education he received there.

Trent then attended Spring Branch Middle School and Memorial High School. Neither were the perfect fit for Trent’s needs. However, Candy was presented the award for outstanding volunteer of the year while Trent attended Spring Branch Middle School.

Candy’s next research project resulted in Trent attending The Riverview School in East Sandwich, Massachusetts, for his senior year of high school. What a marvelous place for Trent to attend a school which catered to his skills in a boarding school setting! Trent graduated, and then lived, took classes, and worked for three more great years on the Cape.

Long before Trent returned to Houston from Cape Code, Candy was already researching and thinking about what type of job might be best for him. Her answer was Goodwill Industries of Houston. Once again, Candy was absolutely correct. Over his more than twenty-three years of employment at Goodwill, Trent has been a consistent and productive employee who has won the Knox Achievement Award and the Moreton Achievement Award given annually to the most outstanding employee of Goodwill Houston.

Joy Elizabeth Williams was born in 1982. She was ivory skinned, with red hair and freckles-just like mom. Her path to fulfillment was different from Trent’s. Candy, therefore, had to craft and chart her life experiences differently.

Early on, Joy was shy and a bit introverted. Both Candy and Trent worked hard to build her self-confidence. Candy found just the right tumbling class and the perfect gymnastics program for Joy. Joy later played soccer, softball, basketball, swam competitively, and became a cheerleader at Second Baptist Middle School. Candy enrolled Joy in service groups that taught about charity and how young girls/women should behave and how they should prioritize the events of their lives. As she grew and matured, Joy’s smile, bright blue eyes, and giggle lit up every room she was in.

Joy was encouraged to read and write. In fact, before her death at age 14 in 1996, Joy expressed how she either wanted to be a teacher or a writer. She was recognized as an excellent writer at Second Baptist Middle School. After Joy’s death, the late Jeanette Cliff George, compiled some of Joy’s poems, prayer thoughts and stories along with her personal doodles and created and published a book entitled Journaling with Joy.

Candy set an example for her children with her regular attendance at church and living a life consistent with her Christian beliefs. Joy had Candy’s poise and grace and her father’s natural athletic gifts such that she was very good immediately at almost any sport she played.

Candy and Joy loved when Trey was out of town on business. The two ladies would snuggle together and have a slumber party in the master bedroom. Candy would teach Joy about the birds and the bees, how to conduct oneself in different circumstances, and Joy would ask questions nonstop.

In the summer of 1996, Candy and Joy created an antique business called Antique Joys. The name of the business came from Candy’s middle name and Joy’s first name. They placed their first antiques for sale in an antique store in Galveston that summer.

Throughout her parenting of Trent and Joy, Candy made sure each was appropriately dressed and prepared for the next step in life.

Joy and two of her Alabama cousins were electrocuted in Candy’s dad’s swimming pool on August 15, 1996. Trent had exited the pool 10-15 minutes before or he, too, likely would have been killed. A third cousin suffered minor electrical injuries. The lives of Candy, Trey and Trent were immediately and immeasurably changed by Joy’s sudden death. God used that horrible event to mold and shape them like clay in His hands.

No parent should have to bury a child. Grief lingered and lingered. Over time, Candy rejoined the world and her prior activities. She was a changed woman whom God had inexorably re-made by her daughter’s death.

Candy used this experience to lead grief support sessions at church and grief support groups for those with children of disabilities. She had an amazing ability to empathize with parents because she had lived through so much and knew how other parents likely felt. She could look a grieving parent in the eyes and immediately know much of what was in the parent’s fractured heart. In turn, the parents could see that Candy “knew” just by peering into her eyes.

Candy loved the telephone and loved to talk for long periods of time with those to whom she ministered.

Candy was the scheduler of the family’s vacations. They included trips to The Tumbling River Dude Ranch in Colorado, Hawaii beaches, Florida beaches and Disneyworld, Disneyland, Colorado and Utah skiing, Gatlinburg Nashville, Memphis to see Graceland, Arizona deserts and the Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde, theme parks galore, Carlsbad Caverns, a magical narrow gauge train ride from Silverton to Durango, Smoky Mountains, Branson, Arkansas, New York City, Cape Cod, and multiple cruises. No one could plan family trips any quicker or better than Candy.

She loved the underdog. She was tireless in pursuit of what was best for her family. She was a visionary and had God’s gift of discernment. She was able to see the future/the big picture long before anyone else. With that vision for the future in place, Candy tenaciously fought to change her dreams into reality.

Candy served as a member of the Junior Forum. She became a very successful networker for the benefit of her children. She served as Chair and Co-Chair of major events at Hunters Creek Elementary School and Second Baptist Middle School. She learned how to do fundraising and successfully used her contacts and ingenuity to raise funds for her charities. She spent quality time with her children’s friends and their parents. She was a member of the Royal Oaks Country Club Ladies Bible Study. The fine women of this group formed a foundation of friends and fellow prayer warriors in the neighborhood. She was an Advisory Director for Goodwill Houston.

Candy was a member for the following churches during her adult years: South Main Baptist Church, Tallowood Baptist Church, Second Baptist Church. Memorial Drive Baptist Church and Tallowood Baptist Church again. The Tallowood Chapel Class Bible study group has been especially supportive of the family.

She is survived by the loving husband for more than 52 years, Walter F. “Trey” Williams, III, and her loving son, Trent Owen Williams, and a myriad of nieces, a nephew, a brother-law and sister-in-law, cousins and aunts across Texas, Alabama, Florida, Virginia and the South and in Germany.

She was preceded in death by her daughter, Joy Elizabeth Williams; parents, Howard Byron and Mary Elizabeth Cheek; her brother, Howard Byron Cheek; and her in-laws, Walter F. and Ann Williams, Jr.

A time of Visitation for friends and family will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, January 23, 2025, at Forest Park Westheimer, 12800 Westheimer Road, Houston TX 77077. A Celebration of Candy’s Life will be held at 11 a.m., on Saturday, January 24, 2025, in The Worship Center of Tallowood Baptist Church, 555 Tallowood Drive, Houston TX 77024. A reception at the church will follow the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the following:

Tallowood Baptist Church

555 Tallowood Dr.

Houston TX 77024

713-468-8241

[email protected]

Bo’s Place

10050 Buffalo Speedway

Houston TX 77054

713-942-8339

[email protected]

Bo’s Place is a Houston based non-profit bereavement center offering free grief support services for children, families and adults in their grief journey.

The Parish School

1109 Hammerly Blvd,

Houston TX 77042

713-467-4696

[email protected]

Charity of your choice

Condolences may be sent to the family at Forest Park Westheimer via their website at Candice Williams Obituary - Houston, TX