Laura Pradeau McCandless

1929 - 2014

Laura Pradeau McCandless, devoted mother, wife and community volunteer, passed from this world surrounded by her family, on Nov. 2, 2014, a month shy of her 85th birthday. Laura was born in Douglas, Arizona, to Arturo and Dolores Pradeau. Her deep love of family and her resourceful nature were greatly inspired by her mother's untimely death in 1936. Laura loved learning and believed an education was paramount for self-determination. She was salutatorian of her Douglas High School graduation class, graduated summa cum laude from Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles and taught home economics at Hollywood High School and John Burroughs High School until her 1953 marriage to Alfred A. McCandless. The young couple soon moved to Indio, California, to establish the automobile dealership, McCandless Motors, which became a mainstay business serving the Coachella Valley for the next two decades. A devout Catholic, Laura joined Sacred Heart Parish after moving to Palm Desert with her growing family in 1956. Over the next 50 years, she served her church as well as the National Charity League, The Living Desert, Martha's Kitchen and the Palm Desert Historical Society as a dedicated volunteer. Laura also taught adult literacy and tutored children in the Coachella School District. In 1983, after the end of her marriage, Laura started her new career teaching home economic skills to the visually impaired at the Rancho Mirage Center of the Braille Institute. Laura took great pride in her children, Cristina and Alfred, and was thrilled when her grandchildren, Alison and Mac, were born. Even as her journey took her deep into the world of Alzheimer's, her smile was always at its brightest when she was among her family. Laura is survived by Al Pradeau, brother; Cristina McCandless, daughter; Alfred A. McCandless II, son; Sharon Holm-McCandless, daughter-in-law; and Alison and Alfred A. McCandless III, grandchildren. A Celebration of Life Memorial Mass will be held Jan. 10, 2015 at St Lawrence Martyr Catholic Church; Redondo Beach, California. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations made to the Alzheimer's Association or The Immaculate Heart Community of Los Angeles.