To be in her presence for a moment, you
knew you were with an angel on Earth. Candace Forsley went home to
be with the Lord on July 3rd, just before her 45th birthday.
Candace spent her life giving love and care to all people that
she encountered; family, friends, and strangers alike. Growing up in
Gray, ME, Candace spent a large portion of her time helping care for
disabled veterans at Gray Manor. She later moved to Kennebunk, ME,
where she continued her acts of kindness through her occupations.
Candace was a steward of the Earth through her work at Tom’s of
Maine and later went on to be a manicurist, providing in-home
pedicure and manicure services for the elderly and disabled. As her
mother aged, Candace dedicated her time to fostering a safe and
healing environment in which her mother could enjoy her final years.
Candace’s unconditional love and support were given freely to
all, and her faith in God guided her to counsel others. As a deacon
at her church, Candace provided a compassionate ear to those who
needed to heal and followed with sound advice for ways to move
forward in God’s Word. This kindness extended well beyond church
walls, and Candace was known to help forlorn-looking strangers find
their way through difficult times. Personal accounts of Candace’s
heroic efforts to improve the lives of others through small acts of
grace are too many to be told here, but include helping store clerks
pursue higher education, to helping single mothers persevere through
trying times, to finding furniture and even automobiles for families
in need. One of Candace’s favorite Bible verses reflects this
dedication to help ease the suffering of her fellow man: “This is
how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.
And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers” (1 John
3:16).
While these efforts are remarkable in themselves,
Candace’s greatest achievements are her children, Ryan, Benjamin,
and Abigail Fitzpatrick. They are truly outstanding individuals
whose kind spirits brought their mother great joy. In her words, “My
children are wonderful people with good hearts, and they are the
fruits of who I am.”
During her life, Candace was faced with the
knowledge that she would leave her dear family and friends earlier
than she had expected. Diagnosed with third stage breast cancer in
2003, Candace fought her illness with an unparalleled fervor,
surviving four more years than doctors expected. She was able to do
this by listening to God’s Word and opening her heart to His love.
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord
is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm
27:1). Even in her extreme illness, she made strides to reach out
to others each and every day. Her optimism and happiness were
contagious, and throughout her treatment, she brought smiles and
laughs to the doctors and nurses, and some fought over who would
care for her. Everyone who met her was inspired by her sweet nature,
kind soul, and love for life.
Candace is predeceased by her
mother and father, Agnes and Eli Forsley, and survived by her
siblings, Fred, Richard, Alex, and Elizabeth Forsley. She is also
survived by her children, Ryan, Benjamin, and Abigail Fitzpatrick,
and her nieces and nephews, Jason, Desirée, Curtis, Eli, and
Victoria Forsley.
Calling hours will be held on Monday, July
14th from 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm at the Bibber Memorial Chapel, 67 Summer
St., Kennebunk, ME. Services will follow at 6:00 pm at the
Kennebunkport Congregational Church, Kennebunkport, ME. In lieu of
flowers, please send donations in Memorial of Candace Forsley to The
Root Cellar (94 Washington Ave., Portland, ME, 04101). The Root
Cellar’s cause was very important to Candace, and she had hoped to
solicit donations for this cause prior to her death. Here is her
letter to you:
“Dear Friends and Family,
As you may know, God
has given me the unique opportunity to prepare for my journey to be
with Him. While there are so many things that I would like to do
before I go, there is one that I believe I can accomplish with your
help.
In lieu of flowers at my funeral, I am requesting
donations for The Root Cellar, of Portland and Lewiston, ME. The
Root Cellar is a not-for-profit organization in Portland that
provides food for those in need. In addition, they make efforts to
serve the Lord and help others to do so. Feeding people, both
physically and spiritually, has been very important to me throughout
my life, and I hope my contributions will continue on into the
future.
My goal is to raise $10,000.00. Yes, that does seem
ambitious, but why not make my “last words” count? To commemorate
the gift, I would like to have a plaque placed in the Root Cellar
that reads, “In Honor of Fred Forsley, with love from your sister,
Candace, and her friends.” Fred has done so much to make my life on
earth the most amazing experience a person can know, and I would
like to thank him for that in the only way I know how; by helping
others feel that same sense of wholeness. It will bring me great joy
to see this during my life, and I thank you for your help to make
this dream a reality. Please know that your gift now will bring me
more happiness than the flowers at my funeral.
I am truly
blessed by my friends and family. I hope that we can come together
at this time to share our blessings with others.
With love and
sincere thanks,
Candace”
As you can see, Candace loved with
her whole heart. Please honor her memory by doing the same in your
daily lives.
