euskalkultura.eus

02/09/2015 - Hartford, CT 2015

Candido Lejardi Urionabarrenetxea, 70, of Windsor, died peacefully on September 2, 2015 at Hartford Hospital surrounded by his family and close friends after an 11-year battle with cancer. The oldest son of Felix and Dolores, Candido was born and raised in the small town of Iturreta in the Basque mountainside of Spain. As a boy, he learned the art of playing jai-alai in Markina, where he practiced tirelessly into his teen years. At the age of 18, Candido ventured to Mallorca, Spain where he embarked on his career as a jai-alai player, which later took him to Cebu City, Philippines; Jakarta, Indonesia; and, finally to Reno, Nevada. He retired as a jai-alai player at the age of 34 and moved his family to Connecticut where he worked as the ball maker and back court judge for Hartford Jai-Alai until it closed in 1995. Upon the fronton's closing, Candido launched a successful fencing business, Country Fence Company. He was an avid gardener and a passionate soccer fan with an undying allegiance to Athletic Club Bilbao. In addition to his devoted wife of 42 years, Retno, he left behind two loving daughters, Maria Elena of Windsor and Diana of Windsor Locks; two brothers, Javier of Guernika, and Bernardo of Lekeitio; and five sisters, Maria Dolores of Lekeitio, Maria Cruz of Lekeitio, Maria Jesus of Markina, Maria Jose of Bilbao and Gregoria of Lekeitio. He also leaves behind close friends, the Eizaguirre and Fernandez families of Windsor. A proud and generous man, devoted husband and loving father, he is missed by all.

Sincerely,

Diana Lejardi
860-305-4583