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, stayat-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.