Candace Kay McKanna, MD “Aunt Candy” 1948-2026 When Candace “Candy” McKanna turned 70, her husband, Bruce, surprised her with a trip to Paris so she would wake up there for her April birthday. They spent the day wandering the city—25,000 steps in all—taking in the sights and savoring what she later described as one of the most special days of her life. Dr. McKanna, a loving wife and psychiatrist, was known for her sharp mind, boundless compassion, and steadfast faith. She built a life that wove together devoted marriage, vocation, travel, and a quiet delight in simple joys. On February 7, 2026, she passed from her husband’s arms into God’s. Born April 7, 1948, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Candy was the third of four children of James and Margaret McKanna and grew up in Green Bay, where she graduated as valedictorian of her high school. She went on to St. Olaf College and then to the University of Wisconsin Medical School—one of just 10 women admitted at the time—earning her medical degree in 1974. After an internship at Bowman Gray School of Medicine in North Carolina, she completed her psychiatric training at Oregon State Hospital. As a physician, she built a long and varied career in psychiatry, beginning in private practice from 1979 to 2007 before devoting the latter part of her professional life to public mental health from 2007 to 2014. Colleagues knew her as thoughtful, precise, and deeply kind—qualities that helped guide patients through some of the most difficult passages of their lives. In 1986, she was elected president of the Oregon Psychiatric Physicians Association, a role that reflected her commitment to strengthening her profession and the systems that serve people with mental illness. Candy met Bruce in 1970 while they were both students at the University of Wisconsin, beginning a partnership that would span more than half a century of shared love, work, and travel. She and her husband were best friends and at their best when together. After a glorious year of life on the road in a VW bus, they settled in Oregon in 1976, making Portland their home for more than three decades. Even after receiving a serious cancer diagnosis in 2020, and between treatments, Candy managed four month-long sojourns in Europe and two dozen domestic trips to family and friends—determined to make the most of each day. “She’s been a role model,” a cousin of Bruce’s said, “for living an amazing life in spite of the disease”—a description that captured her mix of stoicism, curiosity, and resolve. Her Lutheran faith and family were, by her own account, the anchors of her life. She loved her own family and her husband Bruce’s family dearly, and cherished the chance to nurture, teach, and guide her nieces and nephews on both sides. Being an aunt was one of the great joys of her life: she loved to recall standing at the end of an airport jet bridge, hearing her infant niece Jade’s cries for the first time, and then watching her break into smiles and giggles as soon as her mother, Liz, emerged—one of her favorite moments of all time. Candy was happiest with a trail under her feet or a project in her hands. Her idea of a perfect day was hiking in the woods with Bruce, noting the leaves, the trees and the weeds, the waterfalls, and sunlight filtering through the branches. Simple things brought her great joy: making Christmas cookies with niece Jade, pruning her plants, and helping others complete useful tasks. Friends and family knew her as the one who remembered (and reminded others about) birthdays, sent thank-you notes, and wrote Christmas cards—small acts that quietly stitched relationships together over the years. Candy’s life was a testament to grace, bravery, and resilience—the art of paying close attention to others and helping them find steadier ground. She will be deeply missed. Candy is survived by her husband, Bruce M. Johnson; sister, Liz McKanna; sisters-in-law Helen, Connie, Dana, Bennie, and Susan; brothers-in-law David, Clyde, Eric, and Lee; and 28 nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her sister Sandy, brother Jim, and beloved in-laws Chuck and Vivian. A memorial service will be announced and held at a later date in Portland, with burial beside her parents at Oak Hill Cemetery, Westfield, Wisconsin. Donations in her memory may be directed to St. James Lutheran Church in Portland and the Ovarian Cancer Alliance of Oregon and Southwest Washington, organizations close to her heart. A special thank you to her oncologists, Cassandra Niemi and June Ma, and her hospice nurse, Paige. If you look closely, you will see their angel wings.