Obituary of Candace Schafer Mills

Candace Schafer Mills, a passionate supporter of the arts, historic preservation, and sustainable land management, died November 17 after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 68. Candace was well known for an unbridled energy that was informed by powerful intellectual curiosity. Born in Kansas and raised in the midwest, Candace studied Art History at Northwestern University--working in the Oriental Art department at the Art Institute of Chicago after graduation. As a young mother, she spent a number of years living overseas with stints in Tripoli, Athens, Paris, and Toronto before returning stateside where she obtained a Masters of Architecture at the University of Illinois and later, a Masters of Science in Real Estate Development at Columbia University. Her love of history and passion for preserving all things beautiful informed Candace's career and set her priorities. As Senior Project Manager for Spinnaker Real Estate Partners, LLC she was instrumental in transforming a number of underutilized or vacant South Norwalk warehouses into commercial space as well as designing and implementing mixed use development along the formerly industrial Connecticut waterfront. While at Spinnaker, she served as District Chair for the Urban Land Institute's Westchester/Fairfield District Council where she facilitated collaborations among city planners, developers and land owners, encouraging best practices in land use and zoning. Her work with ULI led to her final career move; Executive Director of the Westchester Land Trust. During her tenure as WLT's Executive Director, Candace worked to revive regional thinking across county and state borders through partnerships with local municipalities and land conservation groups. Overseeing the permanent protection of almost 450 acres of land, Candace left her mark on land conservation efforts throughout much of the Lower Hudson River watershed. In June of 2014, Candace, joined by her family and friends, was the honoree at WLTs Annual Benefit where she was presented with the Preservation Angel Award for her outstanding dedication to the organization and the cause of land conservation. Despite the demands of a long and successful career, Candace's boundless energy left plenty of reserve for the people she loved – her family and friends. Dinner parties, neighborhood gatherings and family reunions were a vital part of her life. She will be dearly missed by all who knew her and will be remembered as a loving wife, mother, grandmother and friend. Candace is survived by her husband, Rob Mills, 6 children and their spouses, and 6 grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, December 13, at The First Presbyterian Church of New Canaan, 178 Oenoke Ridge Road, New Canaan, CT. Arrangements under the care of Nutmeg State Cremation Society www.nutmegcremation.com Read Candace Mills's Obituary and Guestbook on nutmegcremation.com.