Candace (Jones-Rodgers) Danhausen

Candace (Candy) Danhausen passed away peacefully on Saturday Jan. 6, 2024. She was born June 27, 1942, and lived nearly her whole life in Healdsburg, CA. where she was fifth generation.  She graduated from Healdsburg High School in 1960.  She was very proud of her two seventh generation granddaughters who both later graduated from HHS as well.  Healdsburg was her home and she loved it. She grew up on a prune Ranch out Westside Road and moved to town during her high school years.  After graduating from college, she returned to Healdsburg and taught Special Education for approximately 35 years in the Healdsburg School district where she touched the lives of many.  Candace always stayed involved in Healdsburg throughout her life and was a charter member and past president of the Healdsburg AAUW. She married her high school sweetheart, Bob Rodgers, in 1963 and had two children (Kendra and Rand).  She later remarried Leroy Danhausen in 1982 and enjoyed a 31-year marriage before his passing in 2013.  Candace saw the writing on the wall with the horrible disease of Alzheimer’s (which she had lost her mom to in 2003- and later her sister Robin, in 2021) and decided to move to the retirement community of Spring Lake Village in Santa Rosa in July of 2017…where she said she would “never have to move again as they can care for her there if she also gets Alzheimer’s”.  Unfortunately, she was right, and she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in late 2018. 

Candace loved adventure and would try almost anything or go anywhere. She loved traveling and enjoyed a 111-day cruise with her dear friend, Jean Short, in early 2017 where they visited 35 different countries. This was her last “big” trip, but still traveled after that to visit her Valparaiso University sorority sisters and loved taking her granddaughters to Disneyland.  She loved going abalone diving and fishing with Leroy, and they always welcomed anyone to join them.  For several years they owned a small cabin in Oregon on the Alsea River and loved having friends and family come up for visits. They would take them crabbing, clamming, and fishing, and then would come back to enjoy eating their catch of the day. After Leroy refused to fly anymore, she made many memories traveling with her friends to faraway places. One of her favorite trips was a trip to Africa with her lifelong friend Wanda Alary (Gren-Belli).  However, her travels with Leroy didn’t stop, rather they just traveled in their motorhome or travel trailer, and one of their favorite places was Eagle Lake as well several trips to Canada and Alaska for fishing adventures.  The list of Candace’s adventures and travel are truly too long to list here, but she loved them all. Candace also enjoyed playing golf, lunch with her girlfriends, and all things social.

Candace was preceded in death by her parents, Bob and June Jones, husband Leroy Danhausen, and sister Robin (John) Daniel.  She is survived by her children Kendra Rodgers, Rand (Isa) Rodgers, and her stepdaughter Jennifer Danhausen. Grandchildren, Tait (Kathleen) Danhausen, Kirk (Katie) Danhausen, Mikayla Froom-Rodgers, Mackenzie Froom-Rodgers, and Peytyn Rodgers. Her brother Les (Jan) Jones; and several nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, Candy would love it if you extended an unexpected gift of kindness in her name or make a donation in her memory to www.alzfdn.org or the Good Sheppard Lutheran Church of Healdsburg.