CANDACE GOUDE WILLIAMS, 83, passed away on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, at Lexington Medical Center in West Columbia, SC. She was the widow of Frederic H. Williams, III, and the daughter of the late Quinby and Rosa Lee Goude.

Candace (Candy) was born on September 21, 1942, in Hemingway, SC. She was raised alongside her three younger siblings by their loving parents on a farm in rural Georgetown County. Early in life, Candace learned the values of hard work and responsibility. She developed her talents as a gifted cook and baker under careful tutelage from her sweet mama, Rosa Lee. They shared a striking resemblance and embodied similar traits of resilience, loyalty, and grace.

Exceptionally bright and studious, Candace graduated from Pleasant Hill High School in 1960. Shortly after graduation, at the age of 17, Candace landed her first job at an insurance agency in Columbia and embarked on a journey as an independent and self-sufficient woman. While embracing life in her twenties, Candace met her intellectual match and future husband, Fred. The couple married in 1968.

Their life together, with two sons, took them across the country while Fred pursued his career as a construction engineer. Candace, a logistical wizard, successfully orchestrated all those household moves—at least a dozen times—often across state lines. Fred frequently remarked that he could not have achieved his success without the unwavering support of his beloved wife, Candy.

With each relocation, the family eventually settled in, and their home usually became a popular gathering spot for neighborhood kids and new friends. Those decades were busy but rewarding and brought rich experiences and lasting friendships. With a natural warmth and seldom short on words, Candace made meaningful connections wherever she went.

Upon retirement, the couple returned to the Palmetto State. When Fred's health declined, Candace served as a remarkable caregiver to him, as well as to her aging mother. Sadly, both passed in 2008. However, a bright light of joy appeared a few years later with the birth of her cherished granddaughter, Garret. As Candace quickly embraced a new chapter as "Grandmama," the two developed a special bond. Time spent with her one and only grandchild became one of Candy's greatest treasures.

A beloved wife, mother, sister, grandmother, aunt, and friend, Candace Goude Willams was a gracious and caring woman and will be missed by all who knew her. Candace is survived by her two sons, Frederic "Eric" Williams and Alexander "Lex" Williams (Jennifer); her granddaughter, Garret Williams; her sister, Arletha Mack (Rembert); her nieces and nephews, Chris Yeates, Rosa Goude, Ryan Mack, Patrick Mack (Ginny), and Becky Woods, as well as great-nieces and nephews and numerous cousins. In addition to her husband and parents, Candace was predeceased by her two brothers, Dyke Goude and Wayne Goude.

A graveside service will be held at 1pm on Sunday, November 23, 2025, at the cemetery of Good Hope Methodist Church in Hemingway, SC. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Good Hope Methodist Church Cemetery Fund. Morris Funeral Home is assisting the family.