Page 110: of Marine News Magazine (September 2013)

When Paul B. Candies passed away suddenly on July 21, 2013, the life- long resident of Des Allemands, LA left behind a proli? c, enormously ac- complished family and one of the most well-respected marine services and vessel operations ? rms on the planet. His passing also opened our eyes to the breadth and depth of an in- dividual whose in? uence and impact extended far beyond the sometimes insular world of maritime commerce. Fitting far more into his time here on earth than others living much longer, the waterfront ? although supremely important to him ? was only one of many parts to Pauls life. And every- thing he took on, he did with zeal and ultimately, produced with excellence. MarineNews readers knew him as President and Chief Financial Of? -cer of Otto Candies, LLC, the com- pany founded in 1942 by his Father, the late Capt. Otto Candies. He was a graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University, and along the way, served in the United States Coast Guard. Unbeknownst to many in the mari- time world, he was also Founder and Co-Owner of the legendary drag rac- ing team Candies & Hughes, and Chairman of the International Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo for more than 30 years. His racing team was in 1999 enshrined into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame. In his spare time, he was said to be an avid dove hunter and enjoyed spending time hunting in Argentina. Married for 48 years to Rita Daigle Candies, he also left two sons, two brothers and count- less other close relatives. Many of the Candies family members (at least 15, by our count) today are active in the operations and management of Otto Candies, LLC. As President and CFO of Otto Can- dies, he oversaw a ? eet of more than 100 vessels serving the offshore oil and gas industry worldwide. Along the way, he was part of the company which, among other things, is known as the ? rst to transport an oil production plat- form from Houston to the North Sea, for its response to the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska, as the ? rst to transport a full re? nery from Houston to Puerto Rico, and even the specialty transport of the enormous Saturn V rocket to Cape Kennedy, FL. Like his af? liations to the world of drag racing, rodeo and a dozen other interesting pastimes, what- ever Paul Candies did, he was a winner. Nicki Candies, Otto Candies Direc- tor of Government Affairs and Public Relations, perhaps summed up the man best when she told MarineNew s in August, From my perspective as his niece, he was a loving, fun, family man who was dedicated to our family and to our companys success. He was always present in our lives ? both per- sonally and professionally. His leader- ship and guidance will be missed.? Underscoring that reality were the estimated 1,000+ people who came to mourn at his funeral, but instead ended up helping to celebrate a life well spent. Those attending, appropri- ately enough, hailed from all walks of life and represented the full expanse of Candies far reaching world. Drag rac- ers, politicians, local dignitaries, law enforcement of? cers, mariners and the maritime community itself hon-ored Candies in a very public manner that, for the most part, he shunned as he went about his daily business in life. Clearly, Candies will be missed as much for what he accomplished away from the of? ce as he will be for his ef- forts in his chosen profession. Thats something we can all aspire to. Paul B. Candies, Sr.; gone but not forgotten. MARINE NEWS PROFILEPaul B. Candies, Sr., 11/23/1940 ? 7/21/2013 Remembering an Industry Icon September 2013110 MNMN Sept2013 Layout 96-111.indd 1108/29/2013 4:43:13 PM