A Wonderful Life Built on Fun
Kristan Dael
50plus Magazine
Candy Puterbaugh’s default setting is Joy. At 77, she is a wife, mom, grandma, and sister. Also a writer with 50plus, her author bio adds “groan-inducing punster, competitive runner, pet lover and tender of gardens.”
The secret to her default setting? Candy says being open to fun has led to many happy accidents.
“Growing up in NE Portland I was a tomboy,” she says, “dutiful at school but a jokester at home.” While not an attention-seeker, she loved performing in school plays. Though not considering herself a leader, she liked giving speeches while running for office. “I’m still in touch with several school friends.”
Her love of running began with a grade school 50-yard dash. “Back then there were few school sports for girls,” she says. She won the dash each year until finally taking second to “a new boy in 8th grade who ran like the wind.”
Years later, a boyfriend asked her to join a group running a 3.5-mile loop. “I thought, ‘Wow! Three-and-a-half miles!?’ But I did it!” Eventually she tried 10Ks, 15Ks and later marathons, competing in nine. Once when training for her first women’s decathlon, her husband Jim said, “You know, you’re not going to win this thing!” worried she was overdoing it. She did win though, and to this day when preparing for a challenge they joke: “Well, I’m not gonna win, but. . . .”
These days Candy mostly participates in 800- or 1500-meter races in and out of town, including at the Oregon Senior Games. In 2009 she ran the 800 at the National Senior Games, setting a new record for her age group (now broken). “I feel lucky I can still run,” she says, “it clears my mind and is a great stress-reliever.”
She followed a crooked path through college, with two years in Salem, one in Eugene, and one in Italy. “I kept changing my major — even trying elementary ed — then discovered journalism in my late 20s working at The Community Press as a feature writer and humor columnist.” She’s been published ever since in magazines and newspapers, and even a children’s book featuring her young granddaughter’s crayon drawings.
“I love learning people’s stories,” she says. “I’ve realized what people go through, how they handle trauma and life changes. Everyone is different, and their stories affect me, especially those of older people.”
One was a 100-year-old man. “He always had a huge smile and outgoing personality even though he’d lost many friends and family members. His attitude was amazing.”
At one point, Candy’s career path led her from insurance to nurse’s aide to secretary at OHSU, where she “met a handsome guy wearing a bowtie.” She and Dr. Jim married six months later.
Now married 50 years, Jim is often mentioned in Candy’s stories, including his many interests: golf, woodworking, beekeeping, bread-baking, and gardening. During a recent snow shutdown, Jim asked, “Shall we have a takeout pizza night for neighbors?” He got busy with his wood-fired pizza oven, making six made-to-order pies, boxed and ready for pickup.
The couple has two sons, Rex, and Casey, who passed away in 2018. They welcomed 16-year-old Denisa from Albania, who attended high school with Casey. She is still their “daughter,” now with a family of her own. The babysit their grandkids weekly, granddaughters 7 and 11, and grandson, 9. “We have so much fun — my humor matches their ages,” Candy laughs. “I worry they’ll outgrow mine!”
If by now you appreciate the many happy accidents in Candy’s life, guess what: there’s more.
Golf — “Growing up, my family didn’t even say ‘golf’!” Then she married into a family of golf pros and teachers. “I’m not that good but I like it — and being outside.”
Gardening — “I didn’t grow up around gardening, and didn’t foresee the upkeep of our 3/4-acre property. But summers are busy!” Being a longtime member of the Portland Garden Club increased her love of flowers — she keeps 10 vases filled at home.
Canine Therapy — Raised with her dad’s hunting dogs and Jim cleaned cages in his dad’s vet hospital. They’ve shared life with dogs, cats and chickens. Their first yellow Lab, Dodger, was so mellow that she became a therapy dog, visiting hospital patients weekly for 10 years. Their young yellow lab Bailey hopes to follow in Dodger’s paw prints.
When asked her thoughts on aging, Candy shares wistful words from a 93-year-old friend when heard Jim had just turned 80:
“Oh, to be 80 again.”
And these heartfelt words from a 30-year-old before dying of cancer:
“You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore before you decide to be happy.”
Candy and family will surely enjoy many happy accidents to come. “We’ve always had fun together. Even grocery shopping, we joke and laugh. . . it’s like a date.”