On March 31, 1978, Assistant Photography Editor Michael Berry arrived at the Ramada Inn in Norman, Oklahoma prepared to interview numerous Playmate hopefuls competing to become Playboy’s 25th Anniversary Playmate. What he did not expect was wanting to end the search once he met his first model of the day. Candy Loving—her legal name is Candis Loving—is as sweet and wholesome as her unique moniker would suggest. “When Mike came to the door, I didn't know what to expect, but there he was, this cute guy with his hair slicked back because he'd just stepped out of the shower,” recalls the all-natural brunette from Ponca City, OK. “He asked me in for coffee and I asked him if he had chocolate milk. He ordered some and we sat and talked for about 40 minutes before he photographed me.” Michael was only supposed to spend ten minutes with each Playmate hopeful, but there was something special about Candy, the University of Oklahoma coed who first discovered Playboy magazine by reading her high school boyfriend’s editions. “I used to think, ‘Oooh, they make me so sick!’” says Candy who takes a moment to laugh at the irony. “Playboy has glorified women, put us on a pedestal. I certainly don’t mind that and I think if any woman is honest with herself, she’ll say the same.” It’s clear that our Silver Anniversary Playmate is one of a kind. “I remember a couple of years ago reading in ‘Dear Playboy’ Playmate Janet Lupo’s tips to girls with big breasts, one of which was ‘Don’t play tennis.’ I never forgot that, and I never play tennis,” says our voluptuous Miss January 1979 with a straight face. “I absolutely cannot go on an empty stomach for any length of time. I have to eat. Three evenly spaced full meals a day, with maybe a snack now and then, and I'm OK. And if I can't eat, I do best with a glass of milk. Milk is one of my favorite foods. White or chocolate, I love milk.” The milk-loving brunette who says her turn-ons include Walt Disney and a warm bed on a cold, rainy night, has always been quirky and off-beat. These endearing qualities, her small town charm and her natural DD-cup bust gave her a leg up on the competition during our 25th Anniversary Playmate Search and no one was more excited about her win than her mother. “Mom said, ‘Congratulations, beautiful! I'm glad you're doing what you want to do. I'm proud of you and I love you,’” gushes our Miss January 1979 who used her prize money to pay for tuition and saved the rest. “I feel so lucky, so fortunate to have been chosen. Why, if it weren't for this, I'd just be another girl from Oklahoma.” After traveling and celebrating being our Anniversary Playmate, Candy went back to school to earn her bachelor’s degree and has since become a bold businesswoman. “During my Playboy years, I learned so much traveling around the country to promote the magazine—confidence, diplomacy, how to deal with people. What propelled me out of Oklahoma has made me grounded. It’s been wonderful,” says Miss Loving.
