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Car show organizers remember ‘Candyman’

PHOTO COURTESY GLENN IRWIN
Local car show organizers last week honored the late Bud “Candyman” Morley during events in Berlin and Ocean City. Morley is pictured here, circa 2009, with his late wife, Bert, and his signature bright red 1948 Ford Flathead V8.

By Josh Davis, Associate Editor

(Oct. 11, 2018) While hundreds of people gathered in Berlin and thousands traveled to Ocean City last weekend for dueling classic car events, one vehicle and one longtime attendee was noticeably absent at both: Bud “Candyman” Morley and his bright red 1948 Ford Flathead V8.

Morley died on Sept. 28 at Atlantic General Hospital.

Born in Louisville County, Kentucky, Morley served in the U.S. Air Force National Guard and worked at Bethlehem Steel as a millwright.

Locally, he was known as the friendly “Candyman” who always had treats for children during Cruisin’ Ocean City and the Berlin Cruisers car shows.

Organizers of both events commemorated Morley over the weekend.

In Ocean City, Tucker Ellis put a bowl of candy next to his car, along with a sign honoring his friend. He’d known Morley for about a decade.

“We met him because we’d joined the Ocean City Cruisers and he was a member. He was the first one that really befriended us,” Ellis said. “We lived in Delmar then, so we knew nobody over here.

“He was just a great guy and a lot of people that weren’t even in the club knew him,” he continued. “So many people stopped by [over the weekend] and said they knew him from seeing him at car shows and were saying what a great guy he was, and how outgoing and friendly he was.”

In Berlin, a space was left open in front of the Church Mouse thrift shop to remember Morley.

“For the last several years, Candyman’s Ford was parked in front of the Church Mouse and he always made sure he brought candy,” said Helen Wiley, who oversees the Church Moused. “He made everybody smile and laugh, and was friendly and warm. He just meant a great deal to a lot of people by spreading kindness and love to the community. We’re going to really miss him.”

Mike Wiley called Morley “a real institution” of the local auto shows.

“I always enjoyed talking with him,” Wiley said. “He had a lot of followers all over, not just in Berlin, but in Ocean Pines and definitely at Ocean City Cruisers. He’ll be missed and we’re going to have a parking place reserved for him, we hope, forever. And we’re going to hand out candy in his honor.”

Bill Hoshal, a longtime volunteer, said everyone enjoyed seeing Morley.

“We had his spot reserved and it was always just an area where no one else could go,” he said. “We looked forward to him being here, and he would always talk to everybody and make everybody laugh, so he will be dearly missed.”

Tanja Giles, who chairs Berlin Cruisers, said Morley “brought a lot of smiles” to the event.

“He was an icon and will be greatly missed,” Giles said.