'Showed Up With Love': Family Honors LI's Beloved Granola Lady

BABYLON, NY — Long Island lost a beloved community member and a familiar face at farmers' markets when she succumbed to her battle with brain cancer last week.

Jeanette Candido, aka The Granola Lady, a Babylon woman known for her big heart and her artisanal granola, died on Tuesday after battling glioblastoma—a type of cancer that starts as a growth of cells in the brain or spinal cord—for less than a year.

One of Candido's three children told Patch it was "hard to put words together," but they managed to break the news to a community that loved their mother so much via a social media post alongside a family photo.

Days later, with hearts broken and emotions still raw, Adeline, Michael and Robbie, found the strength to speak with Patch and honor their mother once again.

In a statement to Patch, they wrote:

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of our mother, Jeanette.

"She fought like hell, but it was a hard battle. In her final weeks, she was surrounded by friends and family, laughing and enjoying company.

"We’re so glad we were able to have her home. She left an impact on the lives of so many. Her legacy of how she lived—by caring for others, being the little moments of joy in someone’s day, and always showing up with love—will be carried on with us forever."

For many years, Candido was a familiar face at farmers' markets across Long Island and was also the matriarch of the artisanal granola business, The Granola Plant. Candido was known for producing gluten-free, sugar-free and oil-free products that the community sought out at the markets.

In early May, she was diagnosed with cancer just days after her first symptoms emerged.

Immediately, her family—which extended beyond her children to a large community that loved her—jumped to her aid with fundraising and support while she endured surgery, treatment, and living with a tumor that "impacted her eyesight, mobility, and ability to live life normally in this moment," her family said in May.

Candido managed to fight for her life while speaking from the heart and bravely documenting her "journey" through glioblastoma with regular blog posts that paused in October, when "things changed," she wrote.

Just weeks later, Candido endured brain surgery around the same time the community gathered for a farm-to-plate fundraiser to help their beloved friend.

At the dinner, host Margaret Kaiser said, "Jeanette is the nicest person I've ever met. She has a heart of gold and I love her dearly. And I can't believe this is happening to her."

When Candido's children announced her death on Instagram, they wrote:

"On Tuesday Jeanette Candido, owner of The Granola Plant, sadly passed away. She was surrounded by people she loved and loved her back. You may know her as 'The Granola Lady' but she was also a friend, Sister, and an amazing Mother.

"We wanted to take this moment to thank everyone who supported her through the years. She never thought her business would grow and reach so many people. And to all her friends she made along the way, thank you. Those hard weeks where she would feel discouraged were made a little easier knowing she could call up her market friends at any time.

"A celebration of life will be held in the upcoming months. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you ❤️ - Robbie, Michael, Addie"