Marilou (Courtney) Candela, daughter of Marvin and Johnna Mae (DeWeese) Courtney was born Aug. 16, 1936 at the farmhouse in Licking, Mo., and went to be with Jesus Dec. 22, 2019 at Hope Hospice in Cape Coral, Fla.
Marilou was converted and baptized in June 1950 and became a member of the Tyrone Free Will Baptist Church. She joined the Hill Top Free Will Baptist Church in Houston in 2007.
She attended elementary school at Whitlock, Cantrell and Licking and graduated from Licking High School with the class of 1954. Marilou moved to St Louis after graduation.
Marilou married Clarence Harrell in October 1954. This marriage was blessed with two children, Patricia Lyneeda and Shelly Renee. This marriage ended in divorce in 1971.
Marilou worked as a bookkeeper and assistant cashier for Wagner Electric in St Louis from 1957 until 1982, when they closed their main office. She moved back to Licking into the farmhouse Christmas Eve of 1982. There along with her brother, Max, remodeled the house where they were both born.
She married Antonino(Tony) Candela in 1983. The children and grandchildren became his as well. Tony passed away December 26, 1997.
She returned to the workforce after Tony’s death, and worked for the Texas County Radio, Inc KUNQ 99.3 FM and KBTC 1250 AM as receptionist and music director from 1999 to July 2001. The radio station sold, and she continued to work for the new owner, Metropolitan Radio Group, Inc. as music director and sales executive until 2006, when the station was sold again.
Marilou is preceded in death by her husband, Tony; her parents; a daughter, Patricia; a grandson, Robert Hargrove, Jr.; and her brother, Max Courtney.
She is survived by her daughter, Shelly Hartford and husband, Scott of Cape Coral, Fla.; son-in-law, Robert Hargrove; seven grandchildren: Joey Hargrove and wife, Kelly, Robert (Robby) Hargrove, Brittany Gannon, Thomas Gannon, Ashlyn Hartford, Savannah DeVito and husband Nick, and Christian Hartford; four great grandchildren, Paddamae Hartford, Knox Cooper, Zoey, and Chloe DeVito; brothers in law, Vito Candela and wife, Carol, Jim Candela and wife, Cecelia, and Fred Urban and wife, Stephanie.
Online condolences may be expressed at www.evansfh.com.
Services are 1 p.m. Monday, Dec. 30, 2019, at Evans Funeral Home with Wesley Wallace officiating. Pallbearers will be Scott Hartford, Christian Hartford, David Hicks, Kane Cooper and Kamon Cooper. A private family burial will be held at the family cemetery under the direction of Evans Funeral Home.
PAID