Candice Ruth Jackson O’Brien passed away with her family by her side in Jasper, Alabama, on January 31, 2024. Candice was born on July 20, 1946, in Michigan to Raymond and Phyllis Jackson. She was raised in the Chicago area along with her brother Raymond. Candice married Thomas O’Brien, and together they raised three wonderful sons: Terry (Sheila Hannigan), Shannon (Christine Chandler), and Anthony (Ranae Keane), first in Burbank and later in New Lenox. She embraced all of her sons’ wives and future wives as her own. Becoming a grandmother meant the world to her! She loved spending time vacationing with her children and many grandchildren: Brianne (Bryan Barnes), Joseph, Taylor, Elizabeth (Thomas Sadowsky), Maggie, Grace, and Lacey. When she became a great-grandmother to McKenna and Jackson, she was ecstatic. She loved traveling to Montana to visit her parents and made trips to Michigan, Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia, Florida, Texas, and any other adventure her family came up with.
Candice worked as a manager for McDonald’s for many years before changing careers to care for her brother, her mother, and later her husband until their passing.
Once Tom passed, Candice was determined to live her life fully. She rehabbed her home in New Lenox, traveled with her family, joined senior groups, exercised, crafted, embraced her independence, and got Khyia, her beloved Rhodesian. Her children are all proud of her determination and bravery. She later followed Anthony to Alabama, had a house built there, created a beautiful garden, made new friends, continued to travel, shop, adopted Cujo, and made Alabama her home.
Candice enjoyed her activities with her women’s group, ceramics, crafts, gardening, and never wanted to sit still. She shared her love and pride in her children, grandchildren, and “greats.” In the past few months, she focused on making Christmas special for everyone and cherished the time she was able to spend with them all.
Candice will be greatly missed. She was feisty, tougher and stronger than she thought, fiercely independent, and most of all, a wonderful mom, mother-in-law, grandmother, and great-grandmother. We pray she is at peace and on to another adventure in “Alabama Heaven.”
A celebration of life with those who loved her will be held at a future date.
