Candace Marie Harris

Candace Marie Harris, of Silver Springs, Florida went Home to be with her Lord and Savior, August 11th, 2025. Candace was a faithful member of Forest Assembly of God Church and loved the Lord with all her heart. She was an active member in a ladies Bible study there with her special friends, Irene Simpson, Bonnie Yager, Nancy Stonestreet, Loretta Hunt, and Lynn Kelley.

Candace grew up in the Foster household in Minneapolis, MN, whose legacy, led by her parents, created a safe and fun environment for the drag racing community. Her parents, John and Margie Foster were the General Managers of Minnesota Dragways. Candace, along with her older sister Cheryl and younger brother John, played a crucial role helping the family create, print and mail weekly newsletters in the their basement, running the timing clocks in the control tower and handing out elapsed time slips to every racer, as well as selling tickets to the fans and for the hundreds of cars that would line up to race every Sunday thru-out the race season.

In her younger years, Candace was an avid runner and snow skier. Later though, her greatest joy and passion shared with the love of her life, Mel, became her and Mel’s love of corvettes and motorcycles. They traveled to numerous car and bike shows throughout the years and built unforgettable memories on the road traveling and spending time with their friends and each other. Their love for motorcycles led them to move to Florida, where they could ride twelve months out of the year.

Candace worked in the printing industry for several decades, both in Minneapolis and in central Florida. After her retirement from printing, Candace and Mel moved to Suches, GA where she opened her own Kettle Korn business. This led to the eventual purchase of “The Country Store” in Blairsville, GA. that Candace owned and operated, selling crafts, candies, jellies and jams, quilts and everything country. After many successful years, Candace sold the store, and they moved to Silver Springs Florida, where they enjoyed their retirement and spent their final years.

Candace loved and adopted many fur babies over the years. She never met a stray cat or dog, because as soon as she discovered one, they would be brought into her home and cared for as one of her own.

Candace was preceded in death by her beloved husband Mel, parents, John and Margie Foster, and sister, Cheryl Foster Kaplan.

Candace is survived by her beloved brother John Foster, Jr. and wife Debbie of Knoxville, TN, whom she has been so very close to her entire life, and will be most missed by. She is also survived by her stepson Troy Harris of Minneapolis MN, her nephews, Jeff Foster (Safeena), John Foster (Kelly), and Phil Foster, her niece, Ashley Foster Hall (Justin), and many great nieces and nephews, as well as numerous friends from all over the country she loved and kept in touch with her entire life.

Candace’s Celebration of Life will be held on Friday August 22 nd at 1:00 EST, at Countryside Funeral Home, 9185 NE Jacksonville Road, Anthony, Florida, 32617

There will be a reception immediately following the funeral service. Please be sure to plan and stay, so we can personally meet you and thank you for being such a precious part of Candace’s life. It’s only a 3-minute drive from the funeral home. Anthony Women’s Club – 2120 NE 95 th Street Anthony, FL 32617

In lieu of flowers, donations can be mailed to either of the following, in Candace’s name. Forest Assembly of God Church - 17530 E. Highway 40 Silver Springs, FL 34488 Humane Society of Marion County Animal Clinic – 1705 NW 8 th Ave. Ocala, FL 34475

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the outpouring of messages that you have shared with our family. We are forever touched and grateful for your kindness.

John’s Eulogy 8-22-25 

Good Afternoon, For those of you who don’t know me, I’m John Foster, Candace’s brother. Thank you all so very much for coming today to support and join with us to celebrate the life of my sister, Candace Marie Harris.

It is with profound sadness that I stand here before you today because I already miss my sister. But it is also with great rejoicing that I celebrate the life and memory of Candace because I know where she is.

I would like to lead us in a prayer: Dear Lord, I pray that my words are your words to help honor Candace and give you all the praise and glory that you deserve. As we place our trust in you, please give our hearts strength, confidence, and clarity as we lean on you and grieve the loss of our beloved sister Candace. I know that not a tear is wasted, and one day we will be reunited with her again and be with you forever. In the mighty name of Jesus, I pray. AMEN

When I was born into a family with two older sisters, I quickly became their favorite doll. Candace and Cheryl, who were 6 and 10 years old when I was born, loved to play house and dress me up. My mother was always quick to point out to them, “BE GENTLE, BABY JOHN IS NOT A TOY!”

When Candace and I were 13 and 19 years old in 1969, we lost our oldest sister, Cheryl, to cancer. Our family was deeply scarred and broken by this loss, but the bond between Candace and me grew stronger as we learned to lean on each other and be there for each other.

My memories of Candace go all the way back to the days of Minnesota Dragways, where we spent our entire childhood. The Twin City Optimist Clubs hired my parents in 1958 as General Managers of the drag strip to provide a safe and legal place for the local racing community, getting them off the streets from racing.

The drag strip was our livelihood and full-time family business. During the week, we all worked together to create, print, and mail weekly newsletters from the basement of our home to update the racers from past and upcoming events. On Sunday, we ran the timing clocks in the control tower, handed out elapsed time slips to every racer, sold tickets to the fans, and to the hundreds of cars that would line up to race every Sunday throughout the race season. I’m pretty confident this is when the strong work ethic Candace and I both possess was developed.

After my parents retired from the drag strip, they ran a business traveling all over the country selling t-shirts and hats. Candace and I worked with them on weekends. Sometimes we would go with Mom and Dad, and other times they would go to one location, and Candace and I would go to another if important events happened on the same weekend.

During the winter months, we would work at indoor car shows, and during the summer months, we would work at drag races, mostly at Brainerd International Raceway in Minnesota.

Candace and I were VERY THANKFUL when Mom and Dad told us they had made the hard decision to sell the t-shirt business. PRAISE GOD!!

I will always treasure the great memories that Candace and I shared during those years.

Years later, after Candace and Mel eloped to Las Vegas and got married, they started their new life together in Florida, where they met many of you. With their passion for riding motorcycles, living in Florida allotted them the opportunity to ride 12 months out of the year.

It wasn’t long after this, our family experienced a tragedy that changed our lives forever. In 2002, our beloved parents passed away together in their sleep at their lake home on Mille Lacs Lake in Minnesota from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning after the furnace venting system failed.

Candace and I were beyond words. She and Mel flew home immediately to Minneapolis, and our already strong foundation grew even stronger as we grieved, dealt with, and worked together to bring closure to our parents’ estate.

By 2004, due to a series of different events, Candace and I found ourselves living 2 ½ hours from each other. She and Mel had moved to Suches, GA, and I had moved to Knoxville, TN. Due to this close proximity, we were able to visit each other quite often on various occasions and weekends.

In 2021, they decided to return to Florida, where they lived out their remaining years.

As we all remember, Candace was a beautiful person inside and out. She had an infectious personality. She was full of life, fun, and adventure. Fearless, actually! She was extremely kind and thoughtful to everyone. I have heard personal story after story of examples of Candace’s big heart from many of you. I am so thankful for how God pursued and cared for Candace her entire life, and especially the last two years, as she grieved the loss of her husband, Mel.

There are no words to describe what I am feeling right now. I will deeply miss Candace, our talks, and weekly morning text messages. The one thing I am forever confident of is I WILL see and be reunited with Candace again one day. Our separation is not permanent. Because of the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed for us all, we will be reunited one day.

Debbie and I gave Candace a prayer journal on her birthday in 2024, and I would like to read a few entries from it.

Her first entry 11/4/24, Candace writes, “I began my walk with the Lord on October 8th, 2023.”

11/11/24 - It has been 14 months since Mel’s passing, and I can finally talk to the Lord and family and friends about how I feel. Through all the quiet times and crying, I can now look back and see how God took so much pain and sorrow in my heart, and He turned it into ‘All God.’ The Lord left His flock to rescue me. I know this is true because He directed me to Pastor Bob and the church. There He has aligned me with such wonderful Christian women who took me under their wings and asked me to be a part of their Bible study.

(3/20/24) “Isn’t it amazing, God is always working, and it is His time and His plan. Thank you, Lord.”

11/24/24 - God is good, and I thank Him every day for guiding me and having Christ in my heart and knowing that He died on the cross to save me from my sin. I know I am never alone.

12/2/24 - I cherish that I am in good health and can get around. I do not take this for granted. I hope I can be a good servant and vessel for God, that I will continue to read the Bible, and ask God to teach me and lead me in the direction that will glorify the Lord.

1/27/25 - The night Mel passed (9/12/23) was the darkest day of my life. I was so afraid, alone, didn’t know where to turn. You see, I knew of God, but I did not know God. This took time. I started to attend Forest Assembly of God Church; this was all directed by God looking back at the sequence of events that took place.

Meeting new people and then (4/3/24) was my first time at Bonnie’s for Bible Study. The reading and fellowship with these wonderful Christian women and attending church on a regular basis changed my life altogether.

Lastly, I would like to leave with you a few of God’s promises that He left with us.

Revelation 21:4
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

Psalm 116:15
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His faithful servants.

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Hebrews 4:16
So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

Joshua 1:9
Be strong and courageous, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

And lastly, I chose this verse because I’m confident it was the first words Candace heard when she entered into the presence of the Lord.

Matthew 25:21
Well done, loyal and faithful servant.