Margaret “Maggie” Elizabeth Candee (née Connelley) of Framingham, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully at the age of 64 on September 2, 2022 in Lee, Massachusetts, while visiting family and friends. She was a native of Western Massachusetts, the daughter of John Joseph Connelley, Jr., and Louise Flora Defoe, both deceased. Maggie was one of eight children by her mother and an additional four siblings by her father.
Some of Maggie’s fondest childhood memories were of growing up in a sprawling early-American home in Stockbridge, attending Catholic Church with all of her siblings by her side, the wonderful smells coming from the kitchen as her mom created delicious family meals despite her modest budget, and even at one point marching down the Main Street of Stockbridge with none other than Norman Rockwell right by her side.
Except for a period of about four years spent in California in the 1980s, Maggie was a lifelong resident of Massachusetts, with most of those years spent in the Berkshires. She was a bright woman who was a hard worker and even as a young woman she was readily entrusted with the responsibilities of an office manager in both a major local non-profit organization, and a successful California tech company. Eventually, it was Maggie’s lifelong love of cooking and baking that would become the foundation of her principal career, cooking, and managing institutional kitchens, including Fairview Hospital and the Somerville Home. But the professional role for which Maggie is best remembered was that of Owner of the Sheffield Market and Candee’s Restaurant. In those years spent in Sheffield, she ran a successful business, raised a beautiful family, and kept a lovely home and gardens. She was the host of frequent visits and gatherings with her many friends and family.
Maggie was a devoted mother whose greatest passion in her life had always been her four children, Coa Schwab, Kady Schwab, April Candee, and Thomas Candee, Jr., along with her sole grandchild, Mykenzie Candee, and her sole daughter-in-law, Zahra Schwab (wife of Coa Schwab). In addition, Maggie was a wonderful and cherished sister to all her siblings. She was predeceased by her brother Norman Papineau (1985), and is survived by her siblings June Vincent, Gerald Papineau, Susan Papineau, Debra Blackwell, Bertha Connelley, Francene Provost, Linda Bracewell, John Connelley III, David Connelley, and Donna Connelley. She also leaves her stepfather, Kenneth Johnson. Maggie had a large extended family that included step-siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, nieces, brothers- and sisters-in-law, a daughter-in-law, and grand-nieces and grand-nephews. She also leaves a group of friends and acquaintances with whom she shared her life over the years.
She was the rarest mix of a person who loved simple pleasures and was absolutely in the here-and-now; yet at the same time, through a willingness to truly sacrifice for the sake of others, it seemed she was striving for a reward beyond anything in the life of this world. Her presence and example will continue to be a source of inspiration for many in both joyful and difficult times.
Calling hours for Maggie are Wednesday, September 7 at Kelly Funeral Home in Lee from 10-11 AM, followed by a graveside service at Elmwood Cemetery in Great Barrington at 11:30. Memorial donations may be made to the Mykenzie Candee education fund through the funeral home. If you would like to leave a message of condolence or share pictures with the family, please visit our web site at www.kellyfuneralhome.net