Candy Adams was a Virginia-born woman whose life became known more widely because of her connection to the Curry family, particularly her daughter Sonya Curry and grandchildren Stephen Curry, Seth Curry, and Sydel Curry-Lee. Her story, however, extended well beyond her famous relatives. She was a mother, grandmother, sister, employee, woman of faith, and a person remembered by her family for her warmth, humor, creativity, and devotion to those around her.
Candy Wyms Adams was born on May 6, 1949, in Radford, Virginia, to Evelyn Katherine Wyms and Walter Leonard Wyms. She died on July 28, 2025, in Charlotte, North Carolina, at the age of 76. Her obituary records that she was affectionately known by several family names, including Moma, Ma, Granny, Grandma, GG, Granny Girl, Granny Candy, and Rose.
Her life also received a wider public spotlight through the 2023 documentary Stephen Curry: Underrated, where she appeared as herself and was identified as Stephen Curry’s grandmother.
Quick Information Table
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Candy Wyms Adams |
| Common family names | Moma, Ma, Granny, Grandma, GG, Granny Girl, Granny Candy, Rose |
| Date of birth | May 6, 1949 |
| Birthplace | Radford, Virginia |
| Date of death | July 28, 2025 |
| Place of death | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Age at death | 76 |
| Daughter | Sonya Curry |
| Famous grandchildren | Stephen Curry, Seth Curry, Sydel Curry-Lee |
| Education | Christiansburg Industrial Institute; Radford High School; New River Community College |
| College studies | Secretarial Studies |
| Former workplaces | Radford Army Ammunition Plant; Lake Norman Day School |
| Interests | Reading, poetry, crocheting, sports, music, crime shows, coffee, tea and family |
| Documentary appearance | Stephen Curry: Underrated |
| Known for | Family, faith, grandmotherly role and connection to the Curry family |
| Life motto | “Live and Let Live” |
Who Was Candy Adams?
Candy Adams, whose full name was Candy Wyms Adams, was a longtime resident of the Radford, Virginia, area and the mother of Sonya Curry.
Although many people discovered her through her relationship with NBA star Stephen Curry, the available obituary records present a much broader picture of her life.
She was educated in Virginia, worked in both industrial and educational settings, raised children, maintained strong relationships with extended family members, and became a grandmother to a large family.
Her family remembered her especially for her personality. She was described through the many affectionate names relatives used for her, reflecting the different roles she played within the family.
Early Life and Family Background
Candy Adams was born in Radford, Virginia, on May 6, 1949.
Her parents were Evelyn Katherine Wyms and Walter Leonard Wyms. Her obituary also records that she was preceded in death by her parents and brothers Walter Wyms and Max Snell Sr.
Growing up in Virginia during the mid-20th century, Candy belonged to a generation that experienced significant social and cultural changes in the United States.
Her early education included attendance at the Christiansburg Industrial Institute, after which she graduated from Radford High School. She later attended New River Community College, where she studied Secretarial Studies.
Her educational path demonstrates that her life was not built around celebrity or public attention. She developed practical skills and pursued a working life before becoming known to a much broader audience through her family.
Candy Adams and Sonya Curry
One of the most important relationships in Candy Adams’ life was with her daughter, Sonya Curry.
Sonya later became known internationally as the mother of NBA players Stephen Curry and Seth Curry and professional basketball player Sydel Curry-Lee.
The family connection is confirmed in Candy’s obituary, which lists Sonya among her children and Stephen, Seth and Sydel among her grandchildren.
This family relationship eventually connected Candy to one of basketball’s most recognizable families.
However, her significance within the family existed long before Stephen Curry became an NBA superstar.
For Candy, being a mother and grandmother was a personal part of everyday life rather than simply a connection to professional sports.
Her Children
Candy Adams was the mother of four children:
- Sonya Curry
- Cleive L. Adams Sr.
- India French-Adams
- Lyrissa Safford
The obituary identifies Cleive E. Adams Jr. as the father of her children.
Her children went on to establish their own families, giving Candy a large extended family that included numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Candy Adams and Stephen Curry
The most recognizable name associated with Candy Adams is Stephen Curry.
Stephen Curry, the Golden State Warriors star, is her grandson through her daughter Sonya.
The connection was not merely mentioned in an obituary. Candy also appeared in the 2023 documentary Stephen Curry: Underrated, where she was credited as herself and identified as Stephen’s grandmother.
Her appearance in the documentary gave viewers an opportunity to see someone from Stephen Curry’s family history outside the basketball court.
The documentary focuses primarily on Curry’s journey from an undersized college basketball player to an NBA superstar. Candy was among the family members included in that story.
Her Other Famous Grandchildren
Candy Adams’ grandchildren included not only Stephen Curry but also Seth Curry and Sydel Curry-Lee.
Seth followed Stephen into professional basketball, while Sydel became known publicly through her own career and online presence.
Candy’s obituary lists all three among her grandchildren, confirming her place as their maternal grandmother.
Her extended family also included many other grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The size of the family helps explain why she had so many different affectionate names. She was not simply known as a grandmother to one famous athlete; she occupied a central family role for many relatives.
Education and Working Life
Candy Adams had a conventional working background.
After completing her schooling, she studied Secretarial Studies at New River Community College. Her obituary records employment at the Radford Army Ammunition Plant and later at Lake Norman Day School.
These details are important because online discussions about Candy sometimes focus almost exclusively on her relationship with Stephen Curry.
Her documented career, however, shows that she had her own working history.
She spent years employed in settings outside professional sports and celebrity culture.
There is no reliable evidence that she became wealthy through the Curry family’s later fame, and publicly available sources do not establish a specific personal net-worth figure.
Candy Adams’ Personality and Interests
The obituary gives an unusually personal description of the things Candy enjoyed.
She loved:
- Reading
- Writing poetry
- Crocheting blankets for her grandchildren
- Sports
- Music
- Crime shows
- Coffee
- Tea
- Using her iPad
- Storytelling
- Dancing
- Singing
- Spending time with family and friends
These interests provide a more human picture of her than simply describing her as Stephen Curry’s grandmother.
Her habit of crocheting blankets for her grandchildren is particularly revealing because it represents the kind of personal, family-centered activity that often becomes part of a family’s memories.
She also enjoyed humor and fellowship.
The obituary emphasizes laughter, storytelling, dancing and singing, suggesting that she was remembered as someone who brought energy and warmth into family gatherings.
Her Faith
Faith was another major part of Candy Adams’ life.
Her family described her as someone who loved God dearly.
The family’s memorial message also expressed the hope that the people Candy touched would carry forward her legacy and embody the spirit of the Lord.
The obituary closes with the words of the Christian hymn “Sanctuary,” reflecting the family’s religious remembrance of her.
Her faith was therefore not simply a detail included in the funeral announcement. It formed part of how her family understood her character and the legacy she left behind.
Candy Adams’ “Live and Let Live” Motto
One of the most memorable details from her obituary is her life motto:
“Live and Let Live.”
The phrase summarizes an attitude of allowing people to live according to their own choices while maintaining one’s own values.
Her family specifically connected this motto with the way she approached life and encouraged others to remember her through love.
For a woman whose public recognition came largely through her famous descendants, the motto also provides an insight into the personal philosophy her family associated with her.
Appearance in Stephen Curry: Underrated
Candy Adams became part of Stephen Curry’s public story through the documentary Stephen Curry: Underrated, released in 2023.
The film follows Curry’s development as a basketball player, particularly his path from Davidson College to becoming one of the biggest stars in professional basketball.
The documented cast lists Candy Adams as “Self – Stephen’s Grandmother.”
Her inclusion matters because sports documentaries often use family members to provide context about an athlete’s upbringing, personality and development.
Candy’s presence therefore helped connect Stephen’s highly public professional career with the family environment behind it.
Final Years and Death
Candy Wyms Adams died on July 28, 2025, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
She was 76 years old.
The official obituary records her date and place of death and says she had gone to be with her Lord and Savior.
Some later reports mentioned that she had been hospitalized before her death, but the publicly available obituary does not provide a specific medical cause of death. Because of that, it is inappropriate to speculate about her medical condition or cause of death.
Her death was followed by public expressions of grief from members of the Curry family.
Sports media subsequently reported that Sonya Curry announced her mother’s passing and remembered her with affection.
Family’s Tribute to Candy Adams
The family message accompanying Candy’s obituary was strongly focused on love, memories and faith.
Rather than asking people simply to remember her through formal condolences, the family encouraged people to continue sharing stories about her.
That request reflects the kind of legacy the family wanted to preserve: personal memories rather than only dates and biographical facts.
Her family described her as someone who led with love and expressed the hope that those she touched would continue that spirit.
Why Candy Adams Became Widely Known
Candy Adams did not become publicly recognized because she pursued a career in entertainment or professional sports.
Her wider recognition developed because she was part of the family of one of basketball’s most famous players.
Stephen Curry’s rise in basketball naturally brought greater attention to his family background.
Her appearance in Stephen Curry: Underrated expanded that recognition further, giving audiences a direct connection to the grandmother who was part of his family story.
After her death in 2025, interest in her life increased again as fans and media outlets looked beyond Stephen Curry’s professional career to remember members of his family.
Candy Adams’ Legacy
Candy Adams’ legacy is best understood through several interconnected parts of her life.
First, she was a mother who raised a family.
Second, she was a grandmother whose family included professional athletes and other accomplished descendants.
Third, she maintained a working life of her own, including employment at the Radford Army Ammunition Plant and Lake Norman Day School.
Fourth, she was remembered for personal interests such as poetry, reading, crocheting, music and storytelling.
Finally, faith and family were central to how her loved ones described her.
Her connection to Stephen Curry may have introduced her to a worldwide audience, but the details of her obituary show that her identity was much broader than that relationship.
Frequently Asked Questions About Candy Adams
Who was Candy Adams?
Candy Adams, whose full name was Candy Wyms Adams, was a Virginia-born mother and grandmother who became publicly known as the maternal grandmother of Stephen Curry, Seth Curry and Sydel Curry-Lee. She also appeared in Stephen Curry: Underrated.
When was Candy Adams born?
Candy Adams was born on May 6, 1949, in Radford, Virginia.
When did Candy Adams die?
She died on July 28, 2025, in Charlotte, North Carolina, at the age of 76.
Was Candy Adams Stephen Curry’s grandmother?
Yes. Candy’s obituary identifies Stephen Curry as one of her grandchildren, and the documentary Stephen Curry: Underrated credits Candy Adams as Stephen’s grandmother.
Who was Candy Adams’ daughter?
One of her daughters was Sonya Curry, Stephen Curry’s mother.
What did Candy Adams do for a living?
Her documented employment included work at the Radford Army Ammunition Plant and Lake Norman Day School. She also studied Secretarial Studies at New River Community College.
What did Candy Adams enjoy?
She enjoyed reading, writing poetry, crocheting blankets, sports, music, crime shows, coffee, tea, her iPad, storytelling, dancing, singing and spending time with loved ones.
Final Thoughts
Candy Adams’ story is ultimately much larger than her connection to a famous basketball player.
She was born in Radford, Virginia, built an education and working life, raised children, became a grandmother and great-grandmother, maintained strong faith, and created countless personal memories with her family.
Her connection to Stephen Curry brought her into the public eye, while her appearance in Stephen Curry: Underrated allowed audiences to see her as part of the family story behind his remarkable basketball career.
After her death in July 2025, her family remembered her through love, faith, humor and shared memories. Her motto, “Live and Let Live,” remains one of the clearest descriptions of the values her family associated with her.
For people searching for Candy Adams today, the most accurate picture is therefore not simply “Stephen Curry’s grandmother.” She was a woman with her own education, employment, interests, faith, family relationships and personal legacy—one that ultimately became connected to one of basketball’s most recognizable families.
