Candy Williams

Candy Williams, Soprano

"I've enjoyed singing since childhood. I sang in church choirs and my Annapolis High School chorus 100 years ago. Sheila and Carol got me interested in joining the Chorus during the first season. I love singing in a "glee club" again!"

Candy is a woman of many firsts: the first female captain in the Anne Arundel County, Maryland, Police Department; the first woman to command a County police district; and the first woman to head the County's 120-officer Criminal Investigation Division. Candy never had any qualms about jumping into any situation, even in the skirt and pumps female officers were required to wear when she first joined the force. (Not the best outfit for subduing an out-of-control drug addict, or chasing down a perp.) She was well liked by her fellow officers. They admired her "guts" for wading right into the hoopla and her thoughtfulness in always remembering their birthdays.

During her 26 years on the police force, Candy earned an associate degree in Law Enforcement; a BA in Psychology and Social Work (University of Maryland Baltimore County); and an MSA in General Administration (Central Michigan University). As she rose through the ranks on the force, Candy pursued many other interests including sailing and scuba diving. Deep down, she also harbored a secret desire to play Bloody Mary in South Pacific. That has not happened—yet—but Candy did play juror number two in Maxim Xul, a horror movie starring Adam West which was filmed in Annapolis. Candy says it was a "very bad movie." "It was a flash. You had to look for me, and then I was gone." 

Candy kept her day job, but she did have other, meatier stage and TV roles. In 1992, she had a leading part in an original musical, The Camp of Music, at Baltimore's Hippo. It was a very funny parody; Candy played against type as an officious, bumbling police officer. Candy made a Public Service Announcement, "It's okay to be gay" in which she played the mother of a struggling teen. She also played the haranguing wife in a TV commercial for a Northern Virginia handyman company. 

Just before retiring in 1996, Captain Candy trained at the Baltimore School of Massage and became a certified massage therapist. She worked as a massage therapist for a year, and in 1997, began selling real estate around the Annapolis area. (She used to say that she was one realtor who would never rub you the wrong way.) Candy has since obtained her Delaware license and is a sales associate at the Long & Foster office in Rehoboth Beach. She consistently receives high ratings from buyers and sellers who cite her humor and ability to listen to their concerns as particular strengths. She was recently named Top Listing Agent at Long & Foster.

Candy bought her first property in Rehoboth Beach in 1988 and moved here fulltime in 2010 when her now wife, Jackie Ferris, retired. She and Jackie were married in April 2014 after being together since 1994. Most mornings you will find them enjoying the beach or walking the streets with their Springer Spaniels, Henry and Nellie. 

Candy loves going to the theater. A huge treat for her is to go to a Broadway show and spend time in NYC. She also loves to experiment with art media—making jewelry, sewing, and painting. In her words, she is "not good, and that's okay." She loves to dance. "Music can make me happy—dancing to an upbeat song can lift my spirits incredibly." Candy is addicted to Words with Friends. She is very good at that—just ask Linda DeFeo or Mary Huntt.

Thank you, Candy for being a calm, easygoing, smiling presence in our midst. Keep singing it out, girl friend!