Ruth “Candy” Congdon, 78, died suddenly at her home in Round Pond on Feb. 11, 2021. Candy was born in Winchester, Mass. and raised in Medford, Mass. by her mother, Madeline Beattie Farmer, who herself retired to Round Pond. Candy was predeceased by her brother, Dr. Capen “Sandy” Farmer, of Farmington.
Candy attended the Bartlett School for Gifted Children in Arlington, Mass. and went on to graduate from Medford High School. After graduating from high school, she attended Jackson College of Tufts University. Her great-grandfather had been the third and longest-sitting president of Tufts College, from 1875 until his death in 1905.
Candy’s parents and relatives spent substantial time at their vacation homes in Round Pond from long before she was born, and she was fortunate to enjoy all of her summers with a group of Round Pond friends. As it happens, during the past few weeks, Candy had been reminiscing with some of these childhood friends about the fun they’d had, like in the summer of 1963 when she and Phil water-skied around all of Round Pond Harbor together behind her brother’s boat.
While at Tufts, Candy majored in English. Writing was always a passion of hers. She was Tufts class secretary, a member of the Jackson Athletic Association and the Tufts Yacht Club. Candy was always an active swimmer. At Tufts she was a vice president of the Marlins, a team of ladies who performed synchronized swimming and water ballet. She was also a member of Alpha Omicron Pi sorority.
Candy had planned to be a fashion buyer in New York City and had a job waiting for her with Bonwitt Teller, but as fate would have it, during her senior year she had a blind date to an ATO pajama party with classmate Phil Congdon that was organized by her roommate and his roommate. It was “love at first sight” and they were married in the Crane Chapel at Tufts University seven months after graduating, on Dec. 28, 1963.
After marriage, Candy’s career goals shifted and she became the editor of various publications of Boston-area insurance and manufacturing corporations. After five years she and Phil started a family with the birth of their daughter, Heather, in 1968 and their son, Drew, in 1974.
In 1976, the family moved to the Dallas, Texas area when Phil accepted a job offer there. Candy continued as a stay-at-home mom. When both children no longer required hour-by-hour mothering, Candy decided to pursue a very successful career as an employment consultant, recruiting and placing IT professionals.
After careful planning, in September of 1991, Candy and Phil began to build their retirement home on the coast of Maine, on the shore of Round Pond Harbor. Candy retired to this home in Maine in 2002. Although Phil retired about a year later, he continued consulting in Dallas before joining Candy in Round Pond full time about two years later.
Their daughter, Heather, blessed them with a grandson, Bennett, now a graduating senior at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Their son, Drew, blessed the family with two daughters, Rachel and Kate, who are in high school and the last year of elementary school, respectively, in a Dallas suburb.
Candy has always enjoyed creative writing. After retiring to Maine she volunteered for about four years by writing a weekly column, primarily describing Round Pond’s history and current activities, for The Lincoln County News. She paused to have total knee replacements done of both knees. Later, she returned to The Lincoln County News reporting staff, where she carefully reported on the activities of the Bristol selectmen and the parks department. Being very detail oriented, she enjoyed the challenge of producing accurate, readable, and error-free copy.
Candy was active in many service organizations. She was president of the Bristol Area Lions Club in 2005-2006 and wrote and published their newsletter. She became active in the Damariscotta Lions Club in 2015, where she wrote their newsletter. Candy also served on the board of directors of The Lincoln Home, where she also chaired two committees.
Candy continued her love of swimming and could invariably be found swimming in Round Pond Harbor in front of our home with her childhood friends or sitting on the deck with them, looking over the harbor and reminiscing while enjoying her favorite Southern Comfort.
If Candy wasn’t swimming, she could be found walking the Pemaquid Loop.
Candy was a bright, positive, and very loving mother and wife of 58 years.
Ever the romantic, Candy had begun making plans for a special COVID-19-style, stay-at-home Valentine’s Day dinner for us that, unfortunately, could not happen. She is missed.
A memorial service will occur next summer, when more of our family can attend. She will then join her mother and brother at sea.
Hall’s of Waldoboro has care of the arrangements.
