Obituaries

Charles Humphrey Woodford
July 8,1933 – July 5, 2026

Charles Humphrey Woodford of Princeton, New Jersey, passed away peacefully at his residence on Sunday, July 5, 2026. He was three days shy of his 93rd birthday.

Growing up in New York City, Charles was the son of modern dance pioneer Doris Humphrey. His childhood was filled with dancers and artists who frequently visited the family’s Gramercy Park apartment, including his mother’s dance partner, Charles Weidman, and her protégé and collaborator, José Limón, and his wife, Pauline Lawrence, whom Charles considered his second parents. Often accompanying his mother to performances, Charles spent his childhood traveling extensively throughout the United States and abroad by train and sea.

A lifelong Quaker, Charles attended Friends Seminary in Manhattan from K-12, graduating in 1951. After receiving a B.A. from Lafayette College in 1955, he served in the U.S. Navy for three and a half years, as an Officer on the USS Maury.

Following an honorable discharge from the Navy, he worked for Harper & Row, Publishers (now HarperCollins) as a foreign language editor. During his time at Harper & Row he met his future wife Connie, who was a junior editor at the time. After they married in 1969, they settled in an old farmhouse in Somerset County, later moving to Princeton. Charles continued commuting to New York City until he founded his own publishing company, inspired by his connection to the dance world and as a tribute to his mother’s legacy.

In 1976 there was a lack of literature being published on dance and few educational books for dance courses at the university level. It was in this environment that Charles launched Princeton Book Company, Publishers. During the mid-1990s, dance literacy received a significant boost in higher education as many universities introduced arts requirements for undergraduates. Dance appreciation courses proliferated, and Princeton Book Company was at the forefront of publishing the required textbooks. In addition to publishing and distributing hundreds of books and videos, Charles’ own published writings include Dance is a Moment: A Portrait of José Limón, The Vision of Modern Dance, and My Dance Family in José Limón: An Artist Re-viewed, and New Dance: Writings on Modern Dance by Doris Humphrey (editor).

A great lover of the arts, Charles frequently attended the Princeton Symphony and performances at Lincoln Center. Charles was an avid swimmer and gardener, doing both into his 90s. He leaves behind a legacy of dance history, tales of childhood adventures, and his many contributions to the publishing world.

Charles’ beloved wife of 57 years, Connie Woodford, predeceased him by only one month. He was also predeceased by his parents, Doris Humphrey and Captain Charles F. Woodford. He is survived by his son, John Woodford (Deborah Yautz); his daughter, Alexandra Woodford Jennings (Jeffrey Jennings); and three granddaughters, Finlay Jennings, Chloe Jennings, and Sophia Woodford.

Charles and Connie were laid to rest in Princeton Cemetery together at a private burial.

Arrangements are under the direction of The Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, Princeton, NJ.

———

Candice “Candy” Walsh

Candice “Candy” Clark Walsh, 79, beloved wife of Kevin E. Walsh, passed away peacefully at Lima Estates in Media, PA, on July 29, 2026 after an extended battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Born in Mineola, NY, to the late Eno Treverton and Mary Opal Clark, she grew up in Garden City, NY, graduated from Garden City High School, and earned her undergraduate degree from Florida Southern College and graduate degree in Special Education from Adelphi University.

In addition to her husband of 55 years, Candy is survived by her children, daughter Jennifer Catherine Thurlow of Wallingford, PA, and son John Clark Walsh of Pennington, NJ. She is adored by her treasured grandchildren, Trevor Thurlow (14), Taylor Thurlow (12), and Clark Walsh (7). Additionally, she is survived by her brother, L. John Clark, his wife Judith Clark, and their children Sandy Mayhew and Jimmy Clark; her sister-in-law and brother-in-law Sheila and Raymond McKelvey, and their children Kevin, Michael, and Catherine McKelvey.

Family lore holds that Kevin and Candy met by chance on Germany’s Autobahn while Candy was vacationing with friends and Kevin was stationed there before deploying to Vietnam. Whether she was stranded with a flat tire and Kevin arrived in a Humvee or an Alfa Romeo depends on who’s telling the story, but their chance encounter sparked a lifelong love. While Kevin served in Vietnam, they stayed connected through letters. After reuniting, Kevin proposed on the rooftop of the Hilton Hotel in Hong Kong during R&R. When his Army service ended, Candy met his family at New York Harbor, and they were married in Garden City, NY, on April 3, 1971.

Candy and Kevin shared a full and exciting life together, recently celebrating their 55th wedding anniversary. They traveled and lived throughout the world while following Kevin’s career at Johnson & Johnson, including opening their Jakarta, Indonesia, and then Sao Paulo, Brazil, offices, enjoying their times and travels internationally as expatriates where Jen and John, respectively, were born. They settled in Princeton, NJ, in 1984 where they raised their family for over 40 years, and enjoyed their time as members of Nassau Presbyterian Church, The Bedens Brook Club, and The Nassau Club.

Candy was successful in all of her endeavors, as a wife, Mom, and friend, as well as a teacher at The Hun School of Princeton and The Lewis School of Princeton, and then a perennial Top Producer Realtor for 30+ years at N.T. Callaway Real Estate and Callaway Henderson Sotheby’s International Realty in Princeton.

She was proud of her volunteer and community involvement efforts at Corner House Behavioral Health, Womanspace (now Younity), The Garden Club of Princeton, Princeton Day School, and as a chauffeur and team Mom to Jen and John’s sports team and extracurricular interests. She was whip-smart, no-nonsense, and had a heart of gold with an infectious, approachable smile.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, September 26, 2026 at 11 a.m. at Nassau Presbyterian Church, 61 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in her name to the Alzheimer’s Association, alz.org.