Candice "Candy" Lee Maas

PIERCE – Funeral services for Candice “Candy” L. Maas, 75, of Pierce, will be held on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. at Christ Lutheran Church in Pierce. Officiating the services will be P.M.A. Jackie Samway. Interment will follow at Prospect View Cemetery in Pierce. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, from 4-7 p.m. at Christ Lutheran Church in Pierce. Candice Lee “Candy” (Toay) Maas, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend, died peacefully on June 5th, 2025, at the age of 75 at Faith Regional Health Services in Norfolk, Nebraska. Stonacek Memorial Chapel is in charge of the arrangements. Candy was born August 31, 1949, in Shelby, Montana, to Don and Maxine Toay. Her childhood was marked by many moves across several states, but she cherished the close bond with her siblings that grounded her and made every place feel like home. The most significant move was to Pierce, Nebraska, where she met her high school sweetheart and the love of her life, Thomas “Tom” Maas. Candy graduated from Pierce High School in 1967 and married Tom on August 26, 1967, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Pierce. The couple resided in rural Randolph for years, where she was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church, and they welcomed five children – Christopher, Cherie, Jason, Tisha, and Jeff. Later in their lives their family moved to Pierce, where she became a member of Christ Lutheran Church. Candy lived a life rooted in love and devotion to family. She shared nearly 58 beautiful years of marriage with her devoted husband, Tom, building a home filled with faith, warmth, and unconditional love. She cherished her role as a wife, mother, and grandmother, and she was immensely proud of her family. A natural caregiver at heart, she spent many years as a daycare provider, nurturing and shaping the lives of countless children with compassion and patience. Whether caring for her own family or those she welcomed into her home, her goodness and gentle spirit touched the lives of everyone she met. Her legacy of love lives on in all those who will carry her memory forward with gratitude and affection. She found joy in the simple pleasures of life – baking, spending time with her loved ones, sharing a good happy hour, and enjoying a quiet moment with a book. While her life wasn’t distinguished by awards or accolades, it was defined by quiet purpose and consistency. Her strength was in showing up - fully, reliably, and without fanfare. In that quiet commitment, she built a life of deep meaning and impact. She is survived by her loving husband, Tom; her children Christopher Maas, Jason (Molly) Maas, Tisha (Aaron) Hooks, and Jeff (Katie) Maas; her grandchildren Alishia, Chrishayla, Lexus, Adelyn, Hayden, Olivia, Logan, and Ava; her step-grandchildren Kayla and Kelley; her siblings, Tina (Greg) Spar and Tana (Daniel) Williams; her siblings-in-law, Sharolyn (Bill) Buss, Duane Maas, Jim (Marian) Maas, Linda Blank, and Marilyn (Marv) Bachman; and many great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and dear friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers Bobby Joe Toay, Donnie Toay and Bill Toay, her sister Beverly Miles, her brother-in law Steve Blank, her sister-in-law Norene Maas, her daughter Cherie Watson, and her granddaughter Tierra Ward. Casket bearers are her nephews John Buss, Brian Maas, Rick Maas, Chad Maas, Kevin Maas, Seth Blank, Brett Blank, Aaron Blank, and Russell Williams. Honorary casket bearers are all her other nephews, nieces, and former daycare children who were like family. Condolences may be expressed online at www.stonacekfuneralchapel.com.

Tributes

Candice "Candy" Lee Maas

August 31, 1949 - June 5, 2025