Monday Profile: Candy Newton

As a Navy brat, Candy Derr moved every two years until her family landed in California, where she attended high school and college. After marrying Steve Newton 34 years ago, the couple moved to Michigan so he could attend the University of Michigan on the GI Bill. They lived in a tent in a state park for a month while house-hunting, which may be why she now loathes camping. Newton worked at a couple of local car dealerships and Heritage Newspapers at the Saline Reporter before becoming a LRIS (Lawyer Referral and Information Service) coordinator with the Washtenaw County Bar Association. She says she loves her job, has met lots of great people, and hopes to be there for quite a while. Residence:Ann Arbor. What is your idea of perfect happiness? Having all my kids home at the same time. Which living person do you most admire? My mother-in-law, Jackie. She is kind, gentle and fun! What is the trait you hate most in others? Dishonesty. What is your most treasured possession? A little ceramic Christmas tree that my grandmother made for my mother. It brings back really good memories. It's 7 a.m. Monday. How are you feeling? Tired. I have never been a morning person so I really don't want to get up and start rolling. What would surprise people about your job? Maybe the fact that even though we run a paid lawyer referral service, we always try to give people free resources first. What's your greatest achievement: Raising my family. They have become great adults. Two of the three are totally independent, WOOHOO! and the third is on his way, though still in college. What would you say to your 16-year-old self? Think again! Biggest regret in life? That I did not finish college. I was studying marine biology in California but when we moved to Michigan it was apparent that was not a good field to pursue here. Then kids came along ... and life got busy. What one thing do you wish people knew about your work? How many different things we do in the WCBA office. There is always work to do or people to help. If you could have dinner with three people, living or dead, who would they be? My mother, who passed away in 2002, Jacques Cousteau, and Mother Teresa. What is the most unusual thing you have done? I went to Trinidad for 10 days to help save endangered Leatherback Sea Turtles. We patrolled the beach at night to stop poaching and also recorded data when the females came out of the water to lay their eggs. It was an amazing experience. I hope to do more of these types of adventures. Favorite movie: Dead Poet Society Favorite place to spend money: On vacations. Where would you like to be when you're 90? On a beach, reading a good book, with an ice-cold Corona, and watching my husband kayak. Published: Mon, Jun 18, 2012