Remembering a Pillar of St. Benedict’s: Candace Bradsher H’99

Candace Bradsher H’99 had a gift for enveloping Gray Bees in warmth and kindness yet could still hold students accountable with her trademark frown or the occasional talking-to. A pillar of Newark Abbey and St. Benedict’s Prep for more than four decades, Ms. Bradsher passed away on May 20, 2026.

“Candace was an extraordinary and truly special help to all she met and served,” said Paul Thornton ’63, who worked closely with Ms. Bradsher after she answered the ad for Alumni Office Secretary in 1986. A stalwart in the Office of Advancement, she became secretary and right hand to Abbot Melvin Valvano, O.S.B. ’56 in 1991 and fulfilled several essential roles over the years with dedication, skill and love.

When she was honored at the 2022 Scholarship Gala and awarded the Medal of St. Benedict’s, the School’s highest honor, the standing ovation was long and loud. In true Candace Bradsher fashion, she gracefully deflected attention away from herself. “I’m not going to talk about me,” she stated. “I’m going to talk about the people who made me who I am.”

Ms. Bradsher expressed gratitude to the Abbot and Mr. Thornton for their encouragement and support over many years, “and for pushing me into directions I never thought I’d be able to go into.” She also thanked her family. “A lot of people say I’m a hard worker and I always say I got it from my mother, because she raised three kids by herself. That’s where I get my hard working from, so, Mommy I really love you for that.”

Ms. Bradsher was born in Quantico, Va., and raised in Paterson, N.J. She graduated from Orange High School in 1982 and Rutgers University Newark in 2014 with a B.A. in English. If The Hive was Ms. Bradsher’s second home, Calvary Baptist Church in Morristown was her third. A woman of deep faith, she was a longtime member of the church and served as Deacon. She is survived by her family, countless friends and loved ones, and generations of Gray Bees she lovingly called her Benedict’s sons and daughters.