SANDRA L. 'CANDI' WALDEN, 58, of 36 Division Street, Pittsfield, died
Tuesday, September 9, at Berkshire Medical Center. Born in Hartford, Connecticut, January 30, 1950, a daughter of Maryjane Alston
Ledbetter of Greenville, South Carolina, and the late Oscar L. Ledbetter, Sr., she was
educated in Southern Berkshire schools and was a 1968 graduate of Monument Mountain
Regional High School and a 1975 graduate of Monterey Peninsula College in Monterey,
California, where she earned an associate degree in office management.
Mrs. Walden was a certified nursing assistant for twenty years. She had been
employed by Side By Side where she had also been a supervisor, Springside of Pittsfield,
and Providence Care Center of Lenox, as well as for Molari Home Care and Ad-Lib
Center for Independent Living. She retired in 2006 due to ill health.
She was a member of Second Congregational Church and had sung in the choir.
She enjoyed listening to the children's choir at church and enjoyed writing children's
stories. She also enjoyed baking and cooking Southern meals on Sundays.
Besides her mother, Mrs. Walden leaves her companion of 22 years, Melvin P.
Wilson of Great Barrington; five sons, Richard Walden, Jr. of Norfolk, Massachusetts,
Jonathan E. Griffin of Pittsfield, Joseph T. Griffin of Pittsfield, Darnell Gardner of
Newport Richey, Florida, and William Rusher of Pittsfield; a daughter, Tiffany A.
Swanson and her husband, Vincent, of Holiday, Florida; a brother, Oscar L. Ledbetter,
Jr., of Pittsfield; three sisters, Edna Elkie of Hartford, Connecticut, Sylvia Ledbetter of
Hartford, Connecticut, and Ruth "Bootsie" Smith of Greenville, South Carolina; twenty
grandchildren and four great grandchildren; and her former husband, Richard Walden,
Sr., of Troy, New York.
She was pre-deceased by a son, James E. Griffin; a brother, John Ledbetter; and
a niece, Tonya Ledbetter.

FUNERAL NOTICE: Funeral services for SANDRA L. 'CANDI' WALDEN, who died Tuesday,
September 9, will be held Monday, September 15, at 11:00 a.m., at Second Congregational Church, with Rev. Belinda Ledbetter, a family member, officiating. Calling
Hours will precede the service beginning at 10:00. In lieu of flowers, contributions in
Memory of Mrs. Walden may be made to Second Congregational Church in care of
DERY FUNERAL HOME, 54 Bradford Street, Pittsfield.

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