Candace Clark

Candace Ann Clark was born on the 11th of November 1952, to Mr. and Mrs. I.E. Clark of Schulenburg. A resident of Houston most of her adult life, she died on the 3rd of May 2012, after an eight year battle with breast cancer.

Candace, affectionately called Candy by her family and friends, was a unique person with a great zeal for life, which she lived on her own terms. Her strong determination to battle breast cancer was mixed with her desire to make every moment count. She often used the expression, “When I go, I will have lived life to its fullest.”

Of the loves of her life, none equaled the maternal devotion given to her two daughters, Elizabeth and Emily. The joy of her later life came two and a half years ago with the birth of her beloved grandson, Landon.

Other passions included dancing and traveling. She was fortunate to have visited numerous destinations in America, Africa, Australia and Europe. Always wanting to help others, Candace reached out to many people in need, especially children. One of the projects of which she was most proud was the complete design renovation of an area for young people at the DePelchin Children’s Center in Houston. She also had a heart for stray animals, often finding homes for them. In addition to trying to improve the lives of others, she constantly searched for new avenues, both conventional and alternative, to curtail her own breast cancer.

In 1971, Candace graduated as salutatorian from Schulenburg High School, where she helped initiate the Shorthorn Belles dance team and served as its co-captain. She participated in the University Interscholastic League speech and one-act play competitions, where she received honors. Candace reflected the opinions of young people on current events in a weekly column, “The Candy Cane,” published in the Schulenburg Sticker. She achieved an honorary state degree from the Future Homemakers of America for an interior design project, which led to a future in this field.

She earned a degree in interior design in 1975 from the University of Texas at Austin, where she was a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority. Candace was presented as an out-of-town duchess in the Austin Aqua Festival. She also was involved in helping underprivileged youth through Big Brothers/Big Sisters in Austin.

Upon graduation, she moved to Houston and entered the interior design field, working for two residential and commercial companies. Her design work featured in several Zeta Show Houses resulted in going out on her own in 1979. A member of the American Society of Interior Designers, she continued working through her company, Worthington Design, until the present.

Candace will be dearly missed by family members who survive her, especially her daughters, Elizabeth Worthington Palacios with her husband, Martin, and son, Landon, of Sugar Land; Emily Worthington of New York City; mother, Lila Clark of Schulenburg; sister, Robin Clark Hudnall of San Antonio with her husband, Clayton, daughter, Caroline, and son, Clark; other relatives and a multitude of friends.

A memorial service to celebrate Candace’s life is to be conducted at eleven o’clock in the morning on Wednesday, the 9th of May, at West University United Methodist Church, 3611 University Boulevard in West University Place.

Immediately following, all are invited to greet the family during a reception to be held at a venue announced during the service.

In lieu of customary remembrances, contributions in memory of Candace may be directed to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, 60 East 56th St., Eighth Floor, New York, NY, 10022; the DePelchin Children’s Center, Office of Advancement, 4950 Memorial Dr., Houston, TX, 77007; or to the Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 900 Portway Dr., Houston, TX, 77024.